Beyond the Darkness: Season 3
by emodinosaurX3
Summary: Nikala, five months pregnant with Sesshomaru's baby, is put in terrible danger when she is kidnapped by Naraku, and, as it appears, so is Sesshomaru. Will Sesshomaru rescue his lover successfully without falling into Naraku's trap?
1. Chapter Forty One

_**Beyond the Darkness  
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**A/N: **Finally submitting the beginning to season three now. (: I've already written this in my _Vampire Kisses_ fanfiction, but the reason I've been MIA is because I'm grounded, but I'm online I guess as a Christmas gift from my mom. 8D Anyway, I don't know when the next time I will be on will be, so don't be expecting a new chapter any time soon, however I will work on chapters while I'm gone. I hope this was worth the wait. (: Enjoy season three. ;D R&R por favor. **-Michele **

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** ::Forty-One:: **

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Traveling had become quite wearisome and Nikala's and Sesshomaru's baby had grown. Nikala had become five months pregnant when autumn hit and she had taken to riding A-Un for the time being. Of course, the bigger Nikala became, the more protective Sesshomaru was of her.

"I'll be back, Sesshomaru. Rin and I are just going to search for berries," Nikala said calmly, but Sesshomaru disagreed.

"I think not," he said sternly. "Rin can go with Jaken, but I don't want to risk putting you in any danger."

Nikala arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Sesshomaru, I'll be _fine_. I'm not a weak demon, you know," she snapped. However, her battle was lost against Sesshomaru and he refused to let her out of his sight.

This somewhat irritated Nikala. In a way, she knew he was only trying to protect her and the baby — since, after all, it was his first born — but she also felt he was going a bit overboard. She couldn't do anything without being his sight, as if a demon was going to leap out and attack her. But even if that were to happen, Nikala was plenty strong enough to handle things on her own. Her fox fire was plenty powerful, wasn't it? After all, she was experienced with pregnancies. It wasn't as if having a baby was completely foreign to her.

She sighed heavily as she watched longingly after Rin and Jaken wander into the forest. She leaned a shoulder against a tree.

"I know how to carry a baby, you know. I've already had one. I'm experienced," she added with another arched eyebrow.

"You are experienced with carrying fox offspring, but nothing dog-demon," Sesshomaru retorted. Nikala scoffed.

"What does that have anything to do with _anything_? A baby is a _baby_, Sesshomaru, whether it be a fox, a dog, or a toad!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. Sesshomaru stared at her, his golden eyes slightly widened. Nikala made a heavy sigh as her temper lowered. "All I am saying is that you don't need to be so protective over me because of this baby. You can trust me, love, I promise." She made her way towards him and placed a hand on his arm, her touch automatically making him want to touch her back.

"I know I can. I'm new at this," he said softly. "I … I don't know about these things. Lord Sesshomaru shouldn't be having a —" he paused briefly before making out the word awkwardly "— _baby_."

Nikala cooed. "No, Sesshomaru. Don't you dare think of such a thing. You're going to make an excellent father. You'll be so admired by your child. Who wouldn't want their father to be the most powerful demon ¾ the lord of all other demons and of the Western Lands of Japan? You're child will be so _proud_ of you, Sesshomaru," she said with excitement, a wide smile developing in her lips

Sesshomaru was silent while he pondered this. He could imagine a little boy, looking strangely like Shippo, only with his silvery white hair and golden eyes, and then a little girl looking exactly like Rin, only with Nikala's hair and eye color, plus her tail. He imagined the both of them staring up at him with wide smiles, their arms embraced around his legs. _"Daddy,"_ they'd say, _"we're so proud of you."_

The though actually frightened him a little as he shook his head to rid of it. Sesshomaru wasn't admired at; he was feared upon, even by Jaken. Strangely enough, he was loved by Rin and Nikala, the females of the group, and even that made him wonder.

_Exactly why _does_ Nikala love me? _he thought. _I know why I am in love with her, but what does she see in me?_

Since when had questions like this pondered his mind, he wondered. _Could_ he be the wonderful father Nikala knew he would be? What made her think that?

Her voice brought him back to reality when she called his name. "Sesshomaru? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he assured and turned his back on her. "If you want to join them, then go ahead. Just be careful."

Nikala squealed and wrapped her arms tightly around his body, pressing her face against his back, as if he'd just said they were going to see Shippo again.

"I will, sweetheart. I'll be back soon," she promised, and headed out to the forest, not knowing that she most _definitely_ would not be back soon.

*** * ***

"So this is the fox-woman you spoke of earlier, eh Kagura?" Naraku asked with dark curiosity as he watched the pregnant fox-woman wander through the forest alone, weaving through the trees to find her comrades, through a white mirror the pale, aura-less girl, Kanna, held before him.

"Yes," Kagura replied. "That's the woman who travels with Sesshomaru. Apparently they're _mated_," she added. A wide grin spread across the evil half-demon's face as he stroked his chin.

"Oh _really_? This makes everything all the more interesting. What a fool, Sesshomaru is. Does he really think it wise to pick up any more weaknesses?" He chuckled. "Mmm … this baby the fox is carrying, is it his offspring?"

"Well, I would _assume_ so if the two are _mated_," muttered Kagura with an eye roll. Kanna nodded.

"The baby is Sesshomaru's," she said softly. Naraku continued to stroke his chin in deep thought.

"Hrmm … fox-dog hybrid. No doubt it would possess Sesshomaru's mighty powers, and also the fox abilities. A full fox-dog demon. How very rare," he said.

"What? Are you planning on absorbing this baby as well?" asked Kagura, crossing her arms. "Don't you think that's a bit macabre? I mean, it'd be just a _baby._ It's not even _born_ yet."

"Which is why we'll kidnap the mother. It'll lure Sesshomaru to us and then I can absorb him as well. I'll have double his power once the baby is born and I'll be invincible!" Naraku claimed with excitement.

"We're going to wait for the baby to be born? How long will _that_ take?" Kagura groaned. Naraku eyed Kanna for the answer.

"The baby was conceived in the middle of spring, bringing the woman to being five months this fall," she replied.

"Five months," Naraku said. "If we catch her now, we'll be waiting for another four months for her to burst."

"Four months is a long time," Kagura sighed, rolling her eyes away from the two.

"There are cases where babies are born off schedule. The fox-woman's child could be born earlier than nine months," Kanna said knowingly.

"That would make it premature, though," Kagura said. "What good would the baby be if it were premature?"

"In any case," Naraku interrupted, continuing his plan, "we'll kidnap the mother of this remarkable child, brainwash her so she doesn't go running away, lure Sesshomaru so I can absorb him, and then wait for this baby to be born. I'll be plenty powerful with Sesshomaru's power during the wait."

"So why do you need the baby?" Kagura asked. Suddenly, she gasped and clutched her chest as she felt Naraku's finger clench her beating heart, squeezing it slightly.

"We _are_ sassy today, aren't we, Kagura? It might be best, you know, if you'd just shut your mouth and do as I say because your running lips are going to get you into a lot of trouble," Naraku threatened as he gave Kagura's heart a final squeeze before making it dissolve into his skin. "Having the fox-woman will be quite pleasurable. She's quite beautiful. I can see why Sesshomaru suddenly became infatuated with love." Naraku chuckled again. Kagure kept from saying anything about Kikyo and how he wanted to cut off all connectivity with his own emotions, therefore why would he want the fox demon for his company so as not to be tortured again.

"What do you want us to do?" Kagura said instead.

"Distract Sesshomaru so I can take the woman. The imp and human girl should be of no trouble, so don't mind them, should they come to Sesshomaru's aid. Sesshomaru's clever, so getting into battle with you would mean something is going on with me. He'll be especially worried since his mate is out away from him with us near," Naraku explained.

"Right," Kagura agreed and nodded. Perhaps she could alter his plan a little bit by letting it slip that Naraku would be going after his pregnant mate, letting slip of his true intentions to absorb both him _and_ his baby. Sesshomaru would be outraged and would want to kill Naraku for sure, finally setting Kagura and her heart free.

_I'll just have to make sure there are no Saimyosho around to overhear our conversation,_ she though as she glanced out of the room. _Sesshomaru will show no mercy in this. He's changed. He'd do anything for that fox-woman. He just better not be reckless._


	2. Chapter Forty Two

_**Beyond the Darkness  
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**A/N: **WOW. It sure has been awhile, hasn't it? Well, I'm back again and I sure have quite a few stories to update. (Okay, well really only this on and DWK, but whatevs. xD) Anyway, sorry for going AWOL, but, again, I'm back. (: Hope you enjoy the chapter[s] and R&R please! (: **-Michele **

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** ::Forty-Two:: **

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Nikala wandered through the forest, wondering how far Rin and Jaken had actually gone just to look for berries. She hadn't been discussing the baby with Sesshomaru _that_ long, had she? Well, if she had, it was his fault for keeping her in the first place. Sesshomaru had no reason to fret over the safety of the baby. Nikala would take care of it just fine.

She sniffed out their scents to search for them faster, but she couldn't exactly place her nose on them. There was another scent that was overpowering Rin's and Jaken's. Who else was in the forest with her?

She got her fox fire ready for the stranger with the unfamiliar scent, her topaz eyes narrowed. She searched the side bushes cautiously, looking around her.

_This scent … I-I know it … I've smelled this before!_

But before she could remember who's scent this belonged to, a voice spoke from behind her and her eyes widened with fright.

"Nikala, is it?" he said and she turned around, her fists clenched tightly and the fox fire around them.

"Who are you?" she asked the unfamiliar man in the white baboon costume, his face hidden by a mask. She spotted a smile underneath the beak of the mask.

"You know me," he said, "and I'm aware that you and your mate are looking for me."

Her heart beat faster than before. _Naraku!_

She stretched her arms toward him and shot her fox fire at him, however, Naraku jumped out of the way and appeared at her side. His demonic aura was strong and she wondered if Sesshomaru could feel it from where he was. She was sure even Jaken and Rin could feel something this powerful, but why weren't they coming?

_I can handle this … I can handle this …_

Oh, who was she kidding? Naraku was far out of her league and even her fox fire couldn't do anything. She needed Sesshomaru here right now!

Naraku chuckled sinisterly in her ear, stroking the side of her face while he clutched her neck.

"It's a shame _Lord Sesshomaru_ isn't here to save you, isn't it? I've actually been looking forward to seeing the mighty dog demon," he said.

"You're _lucky_ Sesshomaru isn't here right now!" hissed Nikala, trying to wriggle free from his grip.

"Am I? Wasn't it a bit reckless to be wandering around the forest with a _baby_ on the way?" he asked, reaching for her grown belly. Nikala roared like an animal, snapping her teeth at his arm. He laughed again. "You are a feisty little fox, aren't you?"

_Sesshomaru!_ she cried in her head. Where in the seven hells _was _he?

*** * ***

There was a sudden change in the air and Sesshomaru immediately understood what was going on. He ignored the presence of Kagura once she had arrived from the wind.

"Lord Sesshomaru," she called from behind.

"Kagura," Sesshomaru responded, indifference in his tone.

"Where's your crew? You've finally ditched them?" she smirked.

"What do you want, Kagura?" asked Sesshomaru, already annoyed with her appearance.

"Don't play dumb, Sesshomaru," Kagura scoffed. "You know I want you to kill Naraku."

"You came all the way over here just to tell me that?"

"You at least owe me the favor," Kagura said.

"I owe you nothing," claimed Sesshomaru.

"You do. I've kept your mate secret from Naraku," Kagura explained, smirking.

"Liar." Kagura glared, even though he was correct. She glanced around anxiously. Sesshomaru noticed immediately, reading her expression so easily.

"You haven't come alone this time," he stated and narrowed his eyes.

"Feh. Unfortunately not," she scoffed, turning her red eyes back to him. Sesshomaru secretly sniffed the air and suddenly he glared harder.

"You've brought Naraku here!" he roared and swiped his ribbon-claws at her, which she barely block with her wind — produced from a wave of her intricate fan — jumping back.

"Sesshomaru, there's something you need to know," Kagura said quickly while they were clear of any Saimyosho. She saw the anger etched in his face and she knew he wouldn't hesitate to hold back any strike to her.

Sesshomaru growled in response and reached for Tokijin attached to his belt. He unsheathed it and swung it at her, heavy gusts of wind blowing at her. She blocked it with her fan again.

"Naraku's here. He _himself_ is here instead of a golem he usually provides. He's in the forest looking for your mate," said Kagura. Sesshomaru stopped dead in his tracks, golden eyes wide and, for once in her life, Kagura saw worry plastered all across his face.

_Nikala._

"He knows she's pregnant. He plans on taking your baby, Sesshomaru," she continued.

His heart raced so quickly, he couldn't even keep up with the counts.

_Nikala … Nikala … the baby …. _That set him off. _MY BABY!_ He roared and Kagura saw his eyes go blood red from the beautiful golden it formally was. His fangs grew out wide and thick, and the purple stripes extended into long, jagged ones.

"_Naraku!"_ he cried, his voice deep and demonic. Suddenly, he sped off into the forest, tracing both Nikala's and Naraku's scent. No way was Sesshomaru going to let Naraku get away with this. If what Kagura said was true and Naraku really was there in his own body, then Sesshomaru would be sure to tear him into shreds.

As he sped through the forest, he could suddenly hear the faint voices of Rin and Jaken calling out to him, but he was too fast for them to catch up. He figured they'd realized Naraku and Kagura were here and were going to trail back to him. However Sesshomaru had no time to stop and wait for them. He had to get to Nikala, and fast.

_Damn it! How far did she go in?_ He cursed himself for letting her go into the forest alone. _I should have at least walked with her until she found the others._

Just as he was about to start blaming himself for putting his mate and unborn baby in jeopardy, he picked up Nikala's scent and heard both voices belonging to her and Naraku, which only made him more angrier and his face continued transforming slightly. Hearing her struggle increased his fury.

He finally reached the two of them, much to, Sesshomaru noticed, Naraku's delight.

"Ah, Lord Sesshomaru," Naraku chimed, holding onto Nikala tightly. "I see you've escaped Kagura. Unfortunately we won't have any time to chat."

Sesshomaru gripped Tokijin's handle tightly. He couldn't strike Naraku without hitting Nikala. "Let her go." His growling grew louder and Naraku chuckled.

"I'm afraid I can't," he sighed, and then stroked Nikala's face, earning a growl from her as well. "Well, I'm afraid it's time for us to go now, my dear. Say goodbye to your beloved lord." Both Nikala's and Sesshomaru's eyes widened and they looked back at each other. While Naraku raised a barrier around the two of them, Nikala struggled to release herself from him and Sesshomaru chased after them as they began to rise from the ground.

"No!" he shouted, Nikala crying out to him.

"You know, you lose your power when you gain weaknesses. What a nasty habit you've picked up. You don't look so fearsome any more, Lord Sesshomaru," taunted Naraku.

Sesshomaru's glare hardened. Nikala transformed into the beautiful auburn fox so as to wriggle easier from Naraku's arms, but he only clung tighter, squeezing her around the middle.

_The baby!_ she though frantically.

Sesshomaru watched Naraku squeeze Nikala's pregnant body and suddenly the anger inside of him exploded. Where his nose was he grew a muzzle and his body began to shape into a four-legged creature. Within seconds, Sesshomaru had become a giant white dog, and he was _very _angry.

Both Nikala and Naraku stared wide-eyed at the giant demon dog lord. It was the first time either of them had seen such a transformation by Sesshomaru. Worry filtered Naraku slightly, but he felt more safe that he was in his barrier bubble.

Nikala noticed Jaken and Rin come running out from behind the trees to find Sesshomaru in his dog-state.

"Oh my — Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken cried out, but Sesshomaru was much too focused on Naraku.

"Lady Nikala! She's been captured by Naraku!" exclaimed Rin with horror, pointing to the barrier bubble.

Sesshoamru began to muster up something that could break the barrier. Nikala had attempted her fox fire, but it made no damage. His heart was racing faster than the speed of light as it seemed, especially when he noticed the dark edges of her bright red fox eyes water. She began to howl, a howl so loud it echoed through the trees in their area. Suddenly Sesshomaru joined in and his howl echoed through the entire forest, probably the entire Western Land.

Naraku glared at the giant dog and began to pull higher and higher into the air where he clamped Nikala's muzzle shut and knocked her out with a punch. When Sesshomaru could no longer hear her howling, his own howls turned into vicious barks and snarls that declared war with Naraku.


	3. Chapter Forty Three

_**Beyond the Darkness  
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**A/N: **Here's chapter 43. Not much to say since I've got to update DWK. Enjoy, though. (: R&R pleeeease. **-Michele **

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** ::Forty-Three:: **

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Kagome Higurashi had just finished serving Shippo a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs, weenies, and rice in a bento box when they all heard it. Faint barking and snarling echoed from across the forest. InuYasha's ears perked up and he sat still, trying to determine who the call belonged to.

"Do you hear that?" Miroku asked his companions.

"Sounds like a … _dog_. A giant one at that," said Sango. InuYasha and Kagome immediately exchanged knowing glances with each other.

"A _dog_? Do you think it could be Sesshomaru?" asked Shippo.

"Oh yeah, that's Sesshomaru alright. But why has he transformed into that damn dog?" hissed InuYasha and he bolted from the clearing.

"InuYasha, wait!" cried Kagome, but he'd already left the premises. By the time she'd turned back, Sango had already mounted Kirara, her two-tailed demon cat, who was now the size of a large horse, and Shippo was clutched on to Miroku's back, who was standing beside Kirara.

"Come on, Kagome. We don't have much time if we want to catch up to InuYasha," said Sango and outstretched a hand to her. Kagome nodded in agreement as she took her friend's hand and was helped onto Kirara. Kagome wrapped her arms around Sango's waist securely and the five of them sped off after InuYasha.

*** * ***

Nikala woke up to a wild throbbing in her head. Her entire body felt weak and sore when she tried to sit up, but her elbows buckled and she collapsed back on to the bed. She groaned and reached for her grown belly. Was her baby all right? Had Naraku killed it while he'd been squeezing her? Tears watered her topaz eyes at the thought. Where was she? She felt her body weaken from the strong demonic aura that filtered her surroundings.

"Oh, my dear, you're awake," chimed the voice of the nasty person who'd kidnapped her. Nikala glared at him through her semi-blurry vision.

"Why do you want me?" she hissed.

"Other than being so attracted to your otherworldly beauty, I don't want you at all," Naraku replied calmly.

"You're keeping me here because you're attracted to me?" she cried in disbelief.

"Not quite. You carry something of great value to me," he continued. Nikala looked at him strangely for a moment, and then suddenly widened her eyes in horror.

"No," she gasped, sitting up against the paper wall, wrapping her arms around her belly protectively, "you wouldn't."

"I'll do anything that'll make me stronger and I believe your fox-dog hybrid baby will contain all the power I need. Have you not realized that you are going to spawn offspring of Lord Sesshomaru, the most powerful demon in all of Japan? I intend to take whatever power that baby holds of Sesshomaru, and then _I_ will become the most powerful demon!" Naraku cried triumphantly with a menacing chuckle.

"I would never let you do such a thing. You aren't laying a _finger_ on this baby," Nikala sneered. Naraku walked over to her, showing her his face for the first time. He was actually quite handsome with a strong face, dark eyes, and long, black hair that was pulled into a half-ponytail. She bared her fangs at him, but inside she quivered, actually quite frightened about what he would do to her baby.

His fingers lightly grazed the skin of her legs before arching an eyebrow. "We'll see about that, my love," he said, and soon after, a young boy wandered in, as if he'd been secretly summoned. "Kohaku, bind this she-fox," Naraku ordered. Her eyes widened at the order and frantically looked back and forth from the two as Kohaku pulled chains from behind his back.

"What?" she cried. She began to scoot away from the both of them, scraping her back against the wall, trying to build her fox fire in her hands. Nothing was coming.

"The demonic aura is weakening her body and, on top of all that, she's pregnant. She won't put up much of a fight," continued Naraku as if she wasn't even there. Yet he'd grinned at her and added, "I will see you soon, my love." With that, he kissed her knee and stood up and left. Naraku was right; she couldn't do much of anything with her weak, pregnant body.

"Just … be careful with … my baby. Please," she said softly to the boy with watery eyes as she let him tie her up in the chains.

*** * ***

Sesshomaru had watched Nikala disappear and never in his entire life had his heart burned with such hatred. He was remembering how he was like before he'd met Nikala, before he'd met Rin. Back when he was just a selfish, vengeful soul. There was nothing he wanted more than Naraku dead by his own claws. Sesshomaru was determined to be the maker of Naraku's death, and he'd be sure to make it a messy kill.

Without even looking back at his companions, Sesshomaru leaped into the air and followed in the direction in which Naraku had set course and disappeared to. Jaken cried out to him.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Wait just a second! Where are you going?"

"He's chasing after Naraku, of course!" Rin answered and ran back in the direction of their campsite. "Come on! We need A-Un to follow him!" She disappeared into the mass of trees. Jaken sighed. He knew _where_ Sesshomaru was headed, but what he really meant to ask was _why_ he was going there in that state? Jaken knew fully well that when Sesshomaru was in his dog transformation, his energy drained incredibly quickly. Sesshomaru needed to be wise about his health and not get distracted by weaknesses.

After he finished pondering, Jaken scurried back to their camp, where Rin was already mounted on A-Un.

"Come on, Master Jaken!" she said again. "We need to follow Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken nodded and climbed — with great difficulty — onto the two-headed dragon. For once he was actually genuinely frightened for his lord.

*** * ***

Naraku sat in his room with his forehead in his hand, his eyebrows narrowed furiously. What had that act of seduction been about, calling her love and kissing her knee? Hadn't he been trying to get rid of his heart so as not to feel any of the love or affection he felt for the priestess, Kikyo? Why was he falling for the fox-demon woman now?

There was a rap on the paper door. Naraku's ears perked up, but his head remained in his hand. "Come in," he growled.

"The fox-woman is chained up now," said Kohaku monotonously. Naraku sighed heavily.

"Very well. Stand guard inside her room, should she try to escape," Naraku ordered.

"Yes sir," Kohaku said, "although I don't think she will."

Naraku arched an eyebrow. "Oh? And why's that?"

"She did not put up a fight when I chained her, just like you said," Kohaku continued. "She allowed me to do so just as long as I didn't 'hurt her baby.'"

"Well, keep watch on her anyway. I don't want to take any chances," said Naraku and his minion nodded in agreement. He turned on his heel and shut the door on his way out.

Naraku sighed as he continued thinking of the fox-woman. The only reason she was in his custody was because he wanted her baby, he tried to convince himself. There was no other reason, at least that's what he told himself. Was there really no other reason?

"There _is_ no other reason," Naraku said out loud to himself through gritted teeth, gripping his forehead. "I'm _not_ in love with her!"

Though, deep down, he knew he was lying.


	4. Chapter Forty Four

_**Beyond the Darkness  
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**A/N: **Just finished this chapter last night. Here you goooooo. (: R&R please && enjoy. ;D **-Michele **

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** ::Forty-Four:: **

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"What in the world has gotten _into_ him?" asked Sango aloud as they continued their pursuit on InuYasha, who, Kagome knew, was in red hot pursuit on Sesshomaru.

"Yeah, and what did he mean by what he said about Sesshomaru?" asked Shippo, riding on the back of Miroku, who was running alongside Kirara.

"He mentioned something about Sesshomaru transforming into a dog," said Miroku.

"I didn't know he had such a power," said Sango.

"Kagome? You're awfully quite," mentioned Shippo. Kagome peered into his wide topaz eyes, the ones he'd clearly inherited from his mother. Kagome knew well enough about Sesshomaru's giant dog transformation. If he had to resort to that power, something must really be wrong over there with his group. She hoped Nikala and the baby were alright.

"Sorry. Just worried is all," she replied, which wasn't a lie at all. She was worried about all of them, including InuYasha. How she prayed there'd be no trouble going on.

*** * ***

Nikala leaned her head against the paper wall, her limbs bound in chains and her energy draining from her. She wasn't sure how much of this evil demonic aura she could take, even though she herself was a full demon.

She repeated in her mind Naraku's true intentions for her baby. Would he really do that? Would he really absorb the newborn just for its powers? The very thought made her eyes teary and she felt her heart beat in her throat out of fear. How could someone be so cruel and heartless?

_This is Naraku we're talking about, however, _Nikala reasoned, though it was no excuse to act so vilely.

She remembered how angry Sesshomaru was when he saw Naraku holding on to her. How full of _disdain_ his beautiful golden eyes held. If he were to know what Naraku was really going to do, Nikala knew Sesshomaru would go into a murderous rage. This baby meant the world to Sesshomaru. And it did to her as well too.

_He's not laying a _finger_ on this baby … ever! _Nikala cried mentally. _He won't get away with this. _I'm_ protecting this baby with my life._

If only she had just enough strength to muster up some fox fire to melt away the chains. Or enough strength to just break them off with her arms and legs. But she was so weak. She felt _human_ weak. Or perhaps even worse.

She longed to stroke her round belly, just to secure her baby, but she felt so helpless. She couldn't do a thing, not even to help her baby feel safe.

_I'm a failure. To end up in this position … I am a failure at being a mother._

"_No,"_ Tairoku's voice protested softly directly in her ear, as if he were kneeling right next to her. She sharply turned her head, but saw nothing. Again, she leaned her head back against the wall, but his voice returned.

"_You will never fail at being a mother, unless you give up on being a mother," _Tairoku continued, and this time, Nikala closed her eyes and just listened to his every word.

_I know you would have faith in me, Tairoku,_ she thought.

"_But it is you who should have faith for others," _he said. Her face twisted in confusion, eyebrows knitting together, but her eyes remained shut.

_What do you mean?_

"_Have faith in your comrades, Nikala. You are not alone. You are never alone."_

This made the tears she struggled to hold back break free from her restraint and rush down her face.

"But I am alone. I am now. I am weak and helpless. I couldn't protect myself from Naraku. I do not know what to do now," she wept. Tairoku shushed her gently and she felt his skin against hers. She opened her eyes and saw him again, but this time, his ghost was not transparent. He was solid, and fleshy, and _here_. Her eyes widened and her jaw slightly dropped as he wiped away her tears with his thumb. He was just like how she remembered him that day, the day of the invasion.

"Tairoku," she whispered and she instinctively leaned forward towards him. His presence brought her strength. She felt more alive than the pathetic fox-woman sitting on the ground she was not five seconds ago.

"Never, Nikala, doubt yourself," Tairoku said, his voice real and powerful, like it once was. He wasn't that spectral vision she'd seen the night he showed her to the fox tribe. Tairoku looked _alive_. "You are capable of so much. You just need faith."

"Faith," she repeated slowly, as if the word were caught on her tongue. He smiled widely at her and cupped his large hand around her jaw, running his fingers of his other hand through her silky auburn hair.

"Have faith in all of them, especially Sesshomaru. He needs you just as much as you do," said Tairoku, his smile not at all faltering when mentioning his lover's current mate. Nikala looked up at him with so much respect. Tairoku was truly a wonderful man. Wonderful for not holding any grudges against her for falling in love with someone else, wonderful for letting her off the hook with the fox bond, wonderful for sticking with her, for helping her get through this even when she carried another man's baby.

Nikala's tears came faster as she bit her lip from bursting out crying and nodded. "Mmhmm, I will," she muffled. She was so lucky to have known this man, and she was so sorry he was gone. "I'm keeping faith in all of them." Tairoku smiled again and stood, looking down at her. Suddenly, she felt a wave of grief wash over her. Why was he gone? Why did he have to die?

"And, Nikala," Tairoku added, "don't lose faith in yourself. You know you are so much stronger than you let others think."

Suddenly, Nikala's grief had suddenly disappeared and she felt all of her strength return to her. Her stamina was filled and she could feel the weight of the chains around her become lighter and lighter, as if they were deflating. Nikala's face beamed as she gave Tairoku a smile of gratitude. He nodded, his eyes sparkling, and slowly, he began to fade. Nikala's smile faltered as she reached out to him, breaking the chains around her arms in the process. However, she didn't even notice — she was so focused on Tairoku's disappearing figure.

"_Faith, dear one. You just need faith,"_ she heard him say, though his lips didn't move.

"Faith," Nikala repeated once Tairoku had fully disappeared. Suddenly determined, she broke loose the chains around her legs by spreading them apart until they snapped and clattered onto the wood floors. She got up, fully energized, and took a deep breath. She looked down and rubbed her belly, smiling again.

"We just need faith, little one. Faith in Papa and Rin and Jaken. And ourselves — we must have faith in ourselves if we're going to get out of this mess," she told her large belly.

Completely confident, she mustered up large amounts of fox fire to blast through the paper wall. Whatever lay outside these walls would have to deal with her.

_And I'm a pregnant fox as well. Whoever gets in my way is sure going to meet Hell herself._

Just as she was about to shoot her fire towards the wall, the paper door slammed open. Nikala turned and saw Naraku in the corner of her eye and, acting quickly, threw her fire at him. He'd barely missed, but the walls beside him were blackening instantly from catching aflame.

"_You!"_ Nikala hissed, glaring her topaz eyes. Naraku noticed them tinting red.

"You've resisted my barrier," he said, astonished.

"Your games are over, Naraku," Nikala growled. "You're never getting my baby."

Naraku narrowed his eyes. _I do not love her!_ he repeated endlessly in his mind.

"I get what I worked for," he said, gradually tilting the edges of his lips into a grin, "and I've been searching long and hard for a demon like the one you're carrying. One who could possibly be stronger than Lord Sesshomaru himself. The offspring of his would be just the one, though who would have thought that Sesshomaru would mate with anyone —"

"Do _not_ test me!" Nikala snarled, her claws extending. Naraku looked at them, intrigued.

"But, then again, why should I only take the baby, when I could take the carrier as well. What tricks do you have up your sleeve, Lady Fox Demon?" Naraku smirked and stepped closer to her. Nikala kept her ground, growled at him, and built up her fox fire in her hands again, the green fire outlining her hands.

"You're not taking anybody," she said, and, just as she was about to throw her fox fire at Naraku, a startling shake interrupted her. She and Naraku exchanged surprised looks and Nikala knew that he had not planned this at all. The earthquake continued until there was a great cracking sound. Suddenly, light poured in through the roof of the room and Nikala looked up to see the actual roof had been torn off, revealing an angry, giant, white dog, glaring murderously down at Naraku.


	5. Chapter Forty Five

_**Beyond the Darkness  
**_**:::**

**A/N: **Here's chapter 45. Thanks so much for R&R'ing, guys. It honestly brings a smile to my face every time I read a comment that says they genuinely like my writing and want me to continue. (: Thanks so much for you heartfelt comments. Gosh, I'm so tired right now, and I don't even know why. It's not even that late. Okay, well, here's 45. R&R please and enjoy! :D **-Michele **

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** ::Forty-Five:: **

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InuYasha raced through the forest, tracking Sesshomaru's scent. If he'd transformed into that dog, then _something_ had to be wrong. Had he somehow snapped with Nikala? If so, she was in greater danger than she realized, and InuYasha had first-hand experience.

_Nikala …_ he groaned in his mind. _I told you he was evil!_

He could hear his friends catching up to him, Kagome's voice calling his name echoing through the forest, but he didn't slow down. If Nikala was in danger from Sesshomaru, he had to hurry to her rescue. Besides, she was pregnant. Demon or not, Nikala was extremely vulnerable at this point.

As he entered a certain area of the forest, he immediately stopped in his tracks, golden eyes wide. He sniffed the air, the familiar foul stench entering his nostrils.

"Naraku," he muttered.

Naraku had been here, and so had Sesshomaru. Had they had showdown? No; the surroundings looked not to have experienced any recent battles. But still — Naraku had been here.

"InuYasha!" cried Kagome. He didn't turn around, but the clarity of her voice told him she couldn't be more than a mile away. When he finally did turn around, Kirara and Miroku were just stepping through the threshold of forest trees, carrying their passengers.

"Was it really necessary to run off like that?" panted Miroku, as Shippo jumped from his back so he could rest.

"Naraku's been here," InuYasha said, ignoring Miroku's question. Everyone's eyes widened.

"What?" Kagome gasped.

"His scent's strong as hell, and so is Sesshomaru's. The two must have met."

"Could that have trigged Sesshomaru's dog-state?" asked Sango.

"I don't know. Probably not. Sesshomaru's too calm a bastard to let Naraku get to him. He knows how to contain himself," grumbled InuYasha.

"Unlike _someone_ we know," Shippo muttered underneath his breath. InuYasha shot him an icy glare and before he could retort back, Kagome cut in.

"So what about Nikala and the others? Were they here too?"

InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, I smell them all. Which means they probably all ran into Naraku." Shippo gulped and his eyes widened. Would his pregnant mother be able to defend herself against someone like Naraku?

"We should probably get a move on, then," said Miroku suddenly. "We need to leave now if we want to catch up to Sesshomaru and Naraku." He stood and brushed his robes off. Kagome leaped down from Kirara so Miroku and Shippo could take her place. InuYasha allowed her to mount his back and the group of them sped off.

*** * ***

A-Un followed Sesshomaru's trail in the air. Both Jaken and Rin waited anxiously to reach their lord. Though Sesshomaru was much more powerful than Naraku, there had still been that time in the past where Naraku attempted to absorb Sesshomaru into his disturbing demon body. But Jaken feared for Sesshomaru even greater this time because, as the dog demon, he was draining his energy and would need to get away to rejuvenate. If Naraku were to take advantage of this (should he find out) … Jaken shuddered, not wanting to think of the outcome.

Not only was Rin concerned for Lord Sesshomaru, but she was afraid for Nikala and the baby. Were they all right? Would Naraku at least take mercy on the expectant mother _because_ she was going to have a baby any time soon? She prayed with all her might that he would. How could someone be so heartless towards a pregnant woman anyway, she thought. She had to be safe, she just _had_ to be. Plus, wherever Naraku was, Kohaku was sure to be around, and Rin knew for a fact that Kohaku would take good care of Lady Nikala. After all, he'd taken care of her herself before.

Suddenly, A-Un seemingly ran into some sort of invisible wall and lowered itself onto the ground. Rin and Jaken dismounted it and walked towards the invisible wall. Jaken lay one hand on it and immediately pulled it back, as if he had been shocked.

"Blast! It's a barrier!" he cried. He knew he wouldn't be able to get through unless someone lowered it. Sesshomaru was on his own.

"Oh no! Lord Sesshomaru! Lady Nikala!" cried Rin, clapping her hands over her mouth. "We're never going to get through!"

Jaken took a couple of steps away from the barrier and twirled his Staff of Two Heads above his head. "Maybe the wrath of my Staff of Two Heads will _burn_ it down!" He slammed the pole to the ground, the old man's head facing the barrier. The old man's jaw fell open and out came balls of bright orange fire, but as the fire hit, the barrier deflected them, bearing absolutely no damage. The fire thinned into the air.

"Curses," sighed the imp as he slid to the ground. Rin was right; they were never going to get through.

The two of them sat there for some moments, unsure of what they could do, when A-Un began to stir, facing its two heads behind them. Rin and Jaken looked over their shoulders and jumped up.

"InuYasha! What are _you_ doing here?" cried Jaken angrily, but Rin had a different approach. She smiled gleefully at the sight of her friends.

"Shippo! Kagome!" she exclaimed, running towards them.

"I can ask you the same thing, imp," sneered InuYasha to Jaken while Kagome embraced Rin. "Shouldn't you be chasing after Sesshomaru?"

"We were, but we ran into this barrier," explained Rin, pointing behind her.

"Rin!" cried Jaken in protest. InuYasha eyed the imp warily, and then glanced towards where Rin pointed.

"A barrier?" Sango questioned.

"Yes. We were traveling in the air after Lord Sesshomaru when we hit the barrier," Rin said.

"Naraku's, no doubt," Miroku said. Rin nodded in agreement.

"And because Sesshomaru's practically 'barrier-resistant', he _would_ be able to just waltz right through it," sneered InuYasha.

"How dare you speak ill of Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken cried, flailing his twiggy arms and pointing a finger at the half-demon. InuYasha rolled his eyes with annoyance.

"Oh shut up, imp. _I'm_ the one who's going to get us through the barrier," he said. Jaken fell silent, for he remembered the last time InuYasha broke down Naraku's barrier: when Sesshomaru was almost being absorbed by Naraku. Jaken glowered at him.

Rin's eyes lit up. "Really? You're going to get us to Lady Nikala and Lord Sesshomaru?" InuYasha nodded and withdrew Tetsusaiga.

"Is Ma alright?" Shippo asked, worried. Rin's smile faltered.

"She's been kidnapped by Naraku. That's why Lord Sesshomaru went after him," Rin explained. Shippo's eyes widened in terror and Kagome gasped.

"The baby!" she cried.

"Ma!" Shippo cried after.

InuYasha glared. What exactly did Naraku want with Nikala? Was she going to be another sick experiment, or was he luring Sesshomaru again, like he had with Rin? Suddenly, Tetsusaiga's magnificent white blade had shifted to a brilliant blood red. Everyone stood back and watched InuYasha lift his blade over his head. With a loud yell, he swung his blade down on the invisible wall. The barrier dispersed and revealed Naraku's manor, along with one of the largest swarms of demons any of them had seen, as if they had been waiting for them to break through.


	6. Chapter Forty Six

_**Beyond the Darkness  
**_**:::**

**A/N: **I tried to make it longer, upon request of a constant reader, so hopefully I succeeded. I'm on a roll right now, so I'll probably have another chapter up by the end of the day, or maybe a lot sooner. Well, enjoy! && R&R please! Gracias! **-Michele **

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** ::Forty-Six:: **

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"Damn!" InuYasha cried. "Where the hell did they all come from?"

"Does it matter now?" cried Sango, grabbing her boomerang from behind her back. Miroku was untangling the rosary that hung around his arm to secure his wind tunnel.

"I'll take care of this," Miroku said. "You guys try and find Nikala … and Sesshomaru," he quickly added before Sango and Kagome could give him dirty looks. He opened his clutched hand and suddenly a strong wind emerged and began sucking everything towards Miroku's hand. _"Wind tunnel!"_

However, as some demons were being sucked into the miniature black hole, Saimyosho, Naraku's minions, arrived.

"Miroku! Close your wind tunnel!" cried Sango and Miroku immediately obeyed. He noticed the Saimyosho and glared.

"Damn it!"

InuYasha's Tetsusaiga returned to it's natural pearly white color as he lifted it. He swung it at a hoard of demons cutting them all in half all at once.

"There's too many. We can't leave each other to fight them all," Kagome said, drawing an arrow to place in her bow. She aimed it at some demons and the sacred arrow exploded purple light as it pierced a couple of them. Sango had thrown her boomerang bone, hitting many demons in the process as well.

InuYasha lifted Tetsusaiga again, this time slamming it to the ground as he shouted, _"Wind Scar!"_ A crushing wave of wind erupted, cracking the earth and killing over a hundred demons that ran in the Wind Scar's path. But it still wasn't enough. He performed Wind Scar again, but it seemed like the demons just kept coming, as if there was no end to them.

"We're never going to get passed them!" shouted Miroku as he threw some of his sacred sutras at the demons, sizzling when they landed on them and dropping dead.

"Whatever's over there must really be important if Naraku doesn't want us to get over there," said Kagome. "He knows you've lowered the barrier." InuYasha swung Tetsusaiga again at the hoard.

Even Jaken and Shippo's fire techniques weren't helping, though Jaken's Staff of Two Heads was making much more progress than Shippo's fox fire.

"We … can't give … up!" cried Shippo between pants. It was taking all of the kitsune's energy just to muster up enough fox fire to damage a demon. "Ma's back there … I have to save her …" Tears streamed down the fox's face. He wouldn't be able to be there for her again. Shippo wouldn't be able to save her. If InuYasha's Wind Scar wasn't working, then nothing would.

"_Don't give in, little one," _said a voice in Shippo's ear. He turned around, but saw no one but his comrades.

"_Don't give in."_

"Who are you?" Shippo cried, frightened. Kagome looked down at him, startled.

"Shippo? What's going on?" she asked, but Shippo ignored her, for the voice was repeating itself over in his mind.

_Wait a second … _he thought, and it suddenly hit him. He _knew_ that voice. He _knew_ it.

_PA!_

He heard the voice chuckle and sigh. _"Yes, little one. It's me," _Tairoku said and Shippo was crying again. His father was here. His _dead_ father was here.

_Where are you? Why can't I see you? _Shippo asked mentally.

"_Must you see me to believe I am actually here?" _asked his father, and Shippo shook his head. He knew for a fact that his father was here. This was no illusion. He just wanted to see his father once more.

_Ma needs help, Pa. We can't get through. I won't be able to save her._

"_I see. But Shippo, you _can_ save her. You _will_ save her. You just need the faith,"_ he said.

_Faith? I need strength, Pa! I'm too little._

"_Nonsense. I know you can muster up your fox fire even in your small form. Just believe that you can."_

_Pa, I can't. I can't … _Shippo's tears came down faster as he fell to the ground.

"_Faith, Shippo! My son, you need to believe in yourself. I know you can do it. Your mother knows you can do it," _he said.

Shippo sniffled and looked up at his friends fighting to get to his mother and Sesshomaru. They all wanted to help save his mother and the baby. They all were so determined to get to through the hoard. So why couldn't Shippo muster up the belief that he could do it too?

He stood up and steadied himself.

_I can do it too,_ he thought.

"_You can do it too,"_ Tairoku repeated.

Shippo mustered up his fox fire in his hands. Suddenly, a surge of power filled his body and he felt strong, energized. Shippo knew his father was helping him, and that only made him feel stronger.

_I can do it too!_

"_FOX FIRE!"_ Shippo cried and shot the green balls of flames out at the hoard. He created a large wall of fire as the demons caught aflame and Shippo's friends, including Jaken and Rin, stood back in astonishment. They were all dying, even some of the Saimyosho. The wall of flames prevented any more demons from coming through and, when they tried, they caught aflame as well.

_I did it!_

Shippo heard his father sigh with pride. Suddenly, he felt a hand rest on his shoulder and he whipped his head around. His topaz eyes widened when he saw solid figure of his father, looking just the way he did before he transformed into the golden fox to fight the Thunder Brothers the day he died.

"I'm proud of you," he said and knelt down to hug his son. Shippo endorsed the embrace, hugging his father back as tightly as he could, and just sobbed. He was hugging his father again. His father was here.

"Papa," Shippo wept, "why did you go? Why did you fight?"

"So that you and your mother could live, my kitsune. I wanted you both to live and get as far away as you could from those two," he replied with a sad smile. Shippo tore from his father and looked into his amber eyes.

"Do you miss us?"

"Of course," Tairoku said surely.

Then, Shippo drifted back to when he'd first been reunited with his mother in the clearing. She was mated with Sesshomaru now, and she was pregnant.

"Mama didn't break the fox bond, did she?" he suddenly asked. "Is this why she's here — because she's being punished?"

Tairoku chuckled and stroked his son's cheek. "No, little one. She is not being punished. And she has not broken our fox bond. I have allowed her to love someone new. To not dread over the loss of me. I gave my life for you both so you could be happy, not so you could mourn."

Shippo nodded and he suddenly felt guilty for ever thinking that his mother had betrayed him, that she had broken the fox bond with Sesshomaru. She wasn't lying at all about his father's last wish. He really did want her to be happy. He really was allowing her to love Sesshomaru.

The fire began to dissipate and the clearing was clear of any rogue demons. Shippo looked back at his friends, who were watching him. He turned back to his father.

"Can they see you?" he asked him. Tairoku chuckled and stood up, straightening his back and looking like the majestic fox demon Shippo remembered he was. His long golden hair swayed slightly in the ponytail, his golden tail doing the same. He gazed at Shippo's friends and grinned. InuYasha pointed his sword at him, and Shippo's topaz eyes widened.

"Who the hell are you?" InuYasha demanded. His tone bought many shocked glances from his comrades, but Tairoku merely smirked.

"I believe I am the one who protected your friends during your showdown with Hiten," Tairoku said. "Perhaps you'd remember me this way." Suddenly, the tall fox-demon man was replaced by a beautiful golden fox with red eyes. Kagome gasped.

"It's Shippo's father! He _did_ use his pelt to protect us!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with happiness. Tairoku nodded, transforming back to his humanoid shape, granting her another smile.

"So, you're Lady Nikala's old fox mate?" asked Rin, walking over to the two foxes to stand with Shippo.

"I see Nikala has mentioned me, hasn't she?" Tairoku chuckled. "Yes, I am Tairoku."

"Lord Sesshomaru is taking very good care of her, Lord Tairoku. He's gone off to rescue her. She's carrying his baby and she's helped him find love."

Shippo was afraid of how he would react to what Rin was telling him, even if he'd just agreed with Nikala's and Sesshomaru's relationship, but Tairoku's smile widened.

"I know. I've been with her," he mentioned. This bought the entire crowd's attention.

"Is she alright? How's the baby?" asked Kagome quickly.

"They're both managing. I've helped her get back on her feet. But I feel she's safe with Sesshomaru now."

"We should go," Sango suggested. "Naraku's after the both of them, after all. We need to help." Tairoku nodded.

"That you do."

Shippo looked up at his father, his eyes sad. "You'll come with us, won't you? You'll stay with us?"

"I'm afraid I can't, little one. But I'll always be with you. Remember that." He knelt down again to Shippo's height and took his son's head in both his hands. He pressed his forehead against his.

"_Never forget,"_ he reminded, sending the mental note to Shippo's mind as he slowly began to disperse.

_Pa …_

"_Never … forget …"_

And then, Tairoku was gone.


	7. Chapter Forty Seven

_**Beyond the Darkness  
**_**:::**

**A/N: **Okay, as promised, I've written up chapter forty-seven, and, WOW, it is a whopping five-pager on a word doc! :D Yayuh! Okay, well, hope you all like it. (: ENJOY. R&R por favor. Gracias! :D **-Michele **

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** ::Forty-Seven:: **

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The look on Naraku's face was priceless, Nikala thought. It was a mixture of both horror and anger, a look of surprise to sum it all up. She wasn't sure if Naraku had been expecting Sesshomaru to arrive, that maybe he'd lost him while they flew up and disappeared into the barrier. It was at that moment that she'd been knocked out by the power of the evil aura.

The roof that Sesshomaru had ripped off so easily, like it was a petal from a flower, was still clamped in his mouth. He noticed Nikala, a flood of relief that she was safe flash across his eyes. She smiled at him before shooting some more fox fire at the wall behind her, creating a hole for her to escape. Sesshomaru tossed the roof aside while Nikala transformed into her fox form. However, as she did so, she staggered, almost collapsing. Sesshomaru saw this right away.

He knelt down to her, her fox body like a small mouse compared to his giant dog form. Sesshomaru shot a look of death at Naraku, as if he had down this. Nikala whimpered briefly before slowly getting up.

"Her pregnant body won't be able to sustain being in the fox form," Naraku mentioned with a dirty grin. "She's too weak."

Sesshomaru roared at him, toxic drooling pooling at the edges of his black lips and dripping onto the remains of the manor. The wood sizzled and burned through. Naraku shot a look of distaste at Sesshomaru.

"I'm surprised you're even balanced with just three legs," he smirked. Nikala glared.

_He's trying to get a rise out of Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru's not going to fall for it, though,_ she thought.

Then, after hearing Naraku's retort, Sesshomaru shifted back to his humanoid shape.

"It would please me in any shape just to kill you," Sesshomaru said in his usual indifferent tone. Nikala glowered at Naraku, lowering her head slightly. Then, Sesshomaru looked down at Nikala. "You shouldn't be here with the baby. Get out of here."

Nikala suddenly glared at him and she growled. No way in each seven hell was she going to leave him. She was staying and fighting. She could protect her baby while doing so. Besides, Tairoku was watching over her.

"Oh, Nikala's not going anywhere, Lord Sesshomaru," Naraku piped, "and neither are you."

"You speak nonsense, I hope you realize," Sesshomaru remarked. Naraku chuckled.

"I speak no nonsense at all." Suddenly, long tentacles sprouted from Naraku's back, reaching out for Nikala and Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru jumped in the air effortlessly while Nikala jumped out of the way. She needed to get away from here, Sesshomaru knew, or she'd get herself killed.

_You've underestimated her before. Do you think it wise to do it again?_ he asked himself. But then, there was this whole dilemma. None of this would be happening if he'd only kept his ground and forbade her from going off into the forest alone. He couldn't lose her again.

"Nikala! Get out of here!" he shouted at her, but she refused. Her refusal was beginning to get to him, which was making him angry. Why couldn't she just leave? Was she even _thinking_ about the baby's safety?

Suddenly, a hoard of demons came out from behind the manor and lunged for the two demons. Sesshomaru drew Tokijin from its sheath and raised it high above his head.

"_Dragon Strike!"_ he boomed and suddenly, a large, bluish-white dragon appeared from the sword, destroying everything in its path as it made its way to the hoard. Nikala was fighting them off as well with mouthfuls of her green flames.

Sesshomaru eyed her briefly, just making sure she was okay. He could see how her body was more rounded because of her pregnancy.

_Get the hell out of here, Nikala! It isn't safe!_ he protested in his mind. Before Nikala, Sesshomaru had never known what it was like to be refused upon, unless it involved a fight. But he had no desire to battle Nikala ever. He just couldn't understand why she was sticking to the area.

Naraku surrounded himself with another barrier, a bubble like he'd used when he'd kidnapped Nikala. As he left the manor, floating high into the sky, both Nikala and Sesshomaru could see Naraku's body expanding, horns and tentacles and scaly armor ripping out his kimono. Sesshomaru clenched his sword, but made no expression of horror, like Naraku would have preferred. He produced more demons from behind the manor and, once again, Sesshomaru attacked with the Dragon Strike. However, that didn't stopped the demons from coming. Horde after horde after horde, there was no end to them. Nikala helped with her fox fire, but it wasn't doing much.

And then, suddenly, Sesshomaru felt so overwhelmed with fatigue. He'd been in the dog form for so long, it had taken so much out of him. He swayed ever so slightly, but remained calm, though inside, he thought this couldn't be happening at an even worse moment.

"Just give up," Sesshomaru advised. "You won't win. You'll never reach my standards."

Naraku merely smirked. "It doesn't look that way, Almighty Dog Lord. You've been weakened by fatigue. And once your baby is born, I'll become even stronger than you."

Glaring, Sesshomaru swung his ribbon claws at Naraku and his barrier, though it failed to do much.

Nikala ran to Sesshomaru's side, changing back to her humanoid shape as well.

"Sesshomaru," she said softly, wrapping her arms around him.

"Nikala, you shouldn't be here," he muttered. Nikala pressed her head against his chest, hearing the slow beats of his heart. He was tired. Had the transformation from humanoid to dog-form worn him out?

"Neither should you, in this state," Nikala reasoned, lifting her head and looking into his eyes. He placed his solitary hand on her elbow and looked up at Naraku. He was glaring so intently at their embrace, it made something stir inside Sesshomaru. Was Naraku somewhat _jealous_ of this embracement? Did he have feelings for his mate?

_Everyone's in love with Nikala! First the monk, now Naraku?_

Naraku began to lower himself onto the ground. Both Nikala and Sesshomaru wondered if he was just getting cocky. Did he think he could take on the both of them, since they were weakened? Sesshomaru made a point to prove him wrong by clutching his sword again and swung it at another oncoming horde of demons.

"You're not getting the baby," Sesshomaru said fiercly through his bared teeth.

"I highly doubt that," Naraku said. As he said that, a large swarm of demons and Saimyosho lunged for Sesshomaru only and while Sesshomaru fought all of them off, Naraku lunged for Nikala. Her eyes widened and she mustered up her fox fire quickly as Naraku's tentacle shot for her. She grabbed the tentacle with her fiery hands and it broke off, releasing a cloud of miasma. Through the miasma, Naraku appeared, face to face with Nikala. He stroke her face gently as she froze with fear.

"You're beauty is remarkable," he whispered, holding her chin delicately with his thumb and index finger. She managed to tear her chin out of his grasp, but not in time for Sesshomaru to see Naraku's actions.

"You _are_ in love with her," Sesshomaru hissed in his ear. Naraku's eyes widened, not being able to sense Sesshomaru's appearance. He swiped his poison claws across Naraku's face. The violent gashes began to sizzle and foam as Naraku glared and cried out. He was soon reduced to a nasty, bubbling corpse, but was soon replaced by a little wooden doll.

"A golem," Sesshomaru sneered. "He's still here."

"Indeed," Naraku's voice sounded from behind. He'd become a mass of large tentacles and horns and scaly armor once more, but with many more additions. Nikala returned to her fox form and Sesshomaru was holding on to Tokijin. They faced Naraku, ready to fight.

"All I want is the baby, so in this case, I'll be needing its mother as well," Naraku said casually.

Nikala roared a refusal. Naraku shut his eyes briefly, and when he opened them, another swarm of demons chased after them. A grim smile pranced along Naraku's lips. Nikala and Sesshomaru broke off into runs as she spewed fox fire from mouth and he performed another Dragon Strike. The demons were still coming and Naraku's smile was growing wider and wider. Oh how Nikala was so sick of him. He wasn't going to take her baby, not even if her life depended on it.

She skidded to a stop to shred some demons apart with her claws and fangs. The demons kept coming. She continued using fox fire. Would there ever be an end?

_Tairoku, _she thought, _why aren't they stopping?_

Fox fire. Dragon Strike. Claws. Fangs. Sesshomaru's poison claws and Whip of Light — the ribbon claws. Nothing was stopping them. Naraku was calling them, Nikala knew. They would stop coming once he would stop calling them. He'd stop calling them once he was dead.

Nikala had no time to lose. Sesshomaru remained focused on destroying every demon that came across his path. Nikala snuck around Naraku, dodging every demon that lunged for her, so she could sneak up on him from behind. A surprise attack was much more beneficial than a forward attack.

Her heart burned with rage. He would never rise to Sesshomaru's standard because he was never going to take her baby. She hated him for underestimating her mate, for kidnapping her, for planning to steal her baby. She even hated him for saying so was so beautiful, and she didn't care if it was supposed to flatter her. It didn't.

She charged for him, every step she took her paws growing hotter and hotter until they were enflamed with her own fox fire. Her fangs were bared, a vicious expression etched all over her face. As she ran, she mustered up her fox fire inside her mouth, preparing to spew it at Naraku when she attacked.

However, little did she know, she wouldn't be spewing anything. Because, as she lunged for Naraku, he immediately turned, his eyebrows narrowed, and stabbed a thick tentacle through her chest.

"_I don't love you,"_ he hissed, even if the words weren't true. She didn't know, and she never would.

Nikala's red eyes widened and she yelped. Her paws clumsily grazed the tentacle, sort of patting it away, as if it would go away if she continued. Naraku twisted the tentacle inside her chest. Why was this happening, she wondered. And where was Sesshomaru?

Her breathing grew heavy and long, but there were long pauses as well. She coughed out a few flames of her fox fire, the fox fire she'd been holding inside her mouth.

At that moment, Sesshomaru had turned around to check on her, where she was, and whatnot. The demons had stopped coming, surprisingly, and Sesshomaru had seemed to finish the last of them. The sight of Naraku's tentacle pierced through his mate's chest made his entire body froze.

Was she … ?

Did she …?

Every system in his body seemed to shut down. He almost collapsed, even, but he managed to find the strength to stand straight. However his eyes never left her struggling body that seemed to be moving less and less with each passing minute.

It was when Sesshomaru noticed Naraku absorbing Nikala's body that he gained full consciousness of his body. He mind snapped back to reality and he charged for Naraku, holding his sword up and roaring. His eyes were turning that bloody red and the stripes on his cheeks were growing out in jagged lines. He was returning to his dog-form, only it seemed he stopped his transformation short so he wouldn't be losing much energy. Naraku noticed Sesshomaru, glared, and shot another tentacle at him to distract him, but Sesshomaru cut right through it and swung his blade down on the tentacle absorbing Nikala. It shriveled up and died and Nikala was freed.

"_What did you do?"_ roared Sesshomaru. His anger was reaching full max. Would he still be able to contain himself?

He looked down at Nikala, his heart stopping again. She was limp, frozen, not moving. Quickly sheathing Tokijin, he unsheathed Tenseiga, but as he held it, he could not see the pale-bearers that would be taking Nikala's soul to the underworld. His anger refurbished when he realized that Tenseiga wouldn't be able to heal Nikala. He threw the sword and roared again. _Why can't Tenseiga heal her?!?!_

He couldn't help it. Naraku was going to die. He was going to die by Sesshomaru's own hand. As he stepped over Nikala's body, he began to transform back into the heartless demon he once was before.


	8. Chapter Forty Eight

_**Beyond the Darkness  
**_**:::**

**A/N: **I hope you guys don't hate me for all of the cliffhangers I'm writing, but, you probably do anyway. d: I'm just hoping you all are enjoying the story, since I'm totally neglecting all of my other stories (especially Vampire Kisses. /: Sorry Jagger && Emily). Well, R&&R por favor annnnnnnnnnd ENJOY. :D **-Michele **

** PS:**There is some bits of InuYasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler, but it's exactly taken word-for-word. I just needed a little scene from it for the story. Anywahoozles, disclaimer for the movie, and, of course, the fandom, but of course there is already a disclaimer instilled in the site once you've become a member, at least I'm pretty sure there is. d: I dunno. xD Enjoy. (:

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** ::Forty-Eight:: **

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Sesshomaru peered out into the vast grasslands, overlooking forests and mountains in the far west. The wind blew his long white hair in the breeze, the tall grass blades grazing against his white hakama.

Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder and he looked up. He saw the majestic profile of his father, gazing out into the grasslands as well.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Inutaisho asked, squeezing his son's shoulder. Sesshomaru looked back out at the plains, nodding. "You know, one day, this will all be yours."

"What do you mean?" asked the young dog demon. He looked back up at his father with large golden eyes, full of curiosity. Inutaisho looked down at his son with a smile.

"One day, you're going to inherit all of this. It'll all be yours. I'm going to give it to you," he explained.

"But, why?" asked Sesshomaru. "Why when you are the most powerful demon in all of Japan?" Inutaisho chuckled and knelt down to his son's height.

"Because I love you, son. And I want you to have it. One day, you will become Lord Sesshomaru, lord of the Western Lands of Japan."

"When will this be?" asked Sesshomaru, excitedly.

Inutaisho ruffled his hair and stood. "One day. I won't be around forever. I'm going to need someone to take my place. Who else better to look after my land than my own son?" He grinned, glancing down at him through the corner of his eyes.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Sesshomaru repeated softly, looking out at the grasslands that would one day be his.

* * *

Inutaisho stood before the wide manor, the moon large and full before him. He was dripping blood, a wound made from sealing Ryukotsusei into a mountain. It was a particularly large wound, and Myoga the Flea was sure that he wouldn't survive it if he didn't do something about it.

Sesshomaru appeared behind him. Sesshomaru was questioning his father about going to aid the human woman he was infatuated with. After all, he was deeply wounded, and she was just a human. How could a magnificent demon such as his father fall in _love_ with a _human_?

After questioning his father and demanding his most powerful swords, Tetsusaiga and Sounga, be entrusted to him, it was Inutaisho's turn to question his son. Questioning him about why he was so obsessed with obtaining power.

"Tell me, Sesshomaru — do you have someone … to protect?" Inutaisho asked.

Sesshomaru eyed his father strangely.

_Someone to protect?_

"The answer is no. I, Sesshomaru, have no one to protect," Sesshomaru answered surely. What kind of question was that anyway? As his father rushed off, transforming into his dog-form, blood still seeping from his torso, Sesshomaru pondered this.

_Someone to protect? Feh, ridiculous._

_

* * *

_

Sesshomaru was squared off with Naraku, his glowing red eyes glaring intently at him. His father's words from the day of his death echoed in his mind.

_Someone to protect. Someone to protect. I was wrong, Father. I _do_ have someone to protect. And now she is _dead_!_

Sesshomaru swung his sword down at Naraku, crushing earth and producing a wave of strong wind shooting straight for him. Naraku's barrier blocked it, however, but Sesshomaru wasn't done. He'd struck a couple hordes of demons before performing the Dragon Strike at Naraku.

"You will die!" cried Sesshomaru. Another strike.

"You aren't as high and mighty as you might think you are, Sesshomaru. Not now that you have a _mate_ and close companions," Naraku taunted.

"Come out and fight, you pathetic poseur!" Sesshomaru cried. Naraku growled.

"A pathetic poseur who managed to kill a purebred demon," he hissed. Sesshomaru roared and struck Naraku and his barrier. The barrier was resisting, but Sesshomaru continued pressing forward.

_Someone to protect. Someone to protect. I _do _have someone to protect. Nikala!_

He glanced back at her body, the unconscious auburn fox cast aside and a gaping hole through her breast. He'd missed the baby, but had he done that on purpose just so he could take it?

_Nikala …_

Images of her smiling face flashed before his eyes. He was remembering when he'd first seen her, just barely passing out in the field from searching days on end for her son without food, water, or rest. He remembered how he'd first come off as a shallow demon, someone who couldn't give a damn about her, but all because he wanted to prove the feelings he had for her wrong. It wasn't his intention to fall in love with the beautiful fox-demon woman. In fact, he hadn't wanted it at all.

But it had happened. And then came the memories of him learning to accept these feelings, remembering the way his insides felt when he'd seen her in the hot springs absolutely nude. Then the first time he expressed his feelings for her by grabbing her aside and pulling her into a kiss that felt like an explosion of pleasure. He remembered hearing her say that she loved him, remembered searching for her son, remembered finding him, remembered making love with her, remembered how he felt about being a father ….

His jaw clenched tightly shut. She couldn't be gone. She just couldn't be. Why couldn't Tensaiga save her? That was his father's fang. It was capable of doing so much — so why couldn't it save a mere fox demon?

Sesshomaru's pressure on Tokijin's strike to the barrier strengthened. Naraku was glaring at him from inside. He knew Sesshomaru was winning. That Tokijin was breaking through his little barrier. How was that even possible? It was bad enough that InuYasha could take down a fully structured barrier with Tetsusaiga, but Sesshomaru wasn't even using his father's fang … how was Tokijin capable of doing such a thing?

"You can't shield yourself forever," Sesshomaru growled, leaning into the sword. Naraku called on more demons to protect himself and distract Sesshomaru, which really got on his nerves. Agitated, he lifted his sword from the barrier, reluctantly enough, and struck at the demons. But they continued coming and coming. Sesshomaru mentally groaned.

_That bastard, Naraku,_ he thought._ He's protecting himself by bringing these pathetic distractions!_

If only he wasn't one arm short. How much easier it would be to fight with two arms.

_Damn that half-breed,_ he thought again, this time with a sneer. _If he'd only given me Tetsusaiga … if he hadn't cut off my damn arm …_

He remembered how Nikala wanted to make it her quest to find Sesshomaru's arm, to restore that empty space. She knew it meant everything to him just to have that arm. He wanted to hold her with both of them, not just one. He wanted to fight twice as fast, do twice as much. Wield Tokijin in one hand, use Poison Claws with the other.

As he fought single-handedly, he'd suddenly picked up a scent … actually, a mixture of scents. And the group was coming for them.

He turned around and saw, coming up over a hill near the opposite side of the mansion, was Rin and Jaken, running towards them, calling out for Lord Sesshomaru. Jaken had his staff spewing fire while Rin was running with iron pans, as if she were going to smack them against a demon's head. Sesshomaru widened his golden eyes and glanced back at Naraku. His surprised look told him that he wasn't expecting this either.

_Rin … Jaken?_

And then, what he saw next really made Sesshomaru's eyebrows rise.

InuYasha and his entire clan stood side by side, their weapons out and ready. InuYasha peered down at Sesshomaru, his eyes narrowed, and a small grin spreading across his lips. He nodded and then burst into war calls, running towards the hordes with his fang wound behind him. The others had dispersed as well, even Shippo with a fully-well developed fox fire that was burning the demons at an impeccable rate.

"What is this?" cried Naraku, rising himself into the air. He lunged for Nikala's body, but Sesshomaru was quick to intercept. He stood in front of her protectively, his sword pointed at Naraku.

"Very well. I'll take you instead. You'll make a fine addition to my collection," Naraku said and he let loose his tentacles. Sesshomaru's fast speed was no match for the tentacles and he cut them off before they had time to reach him.

"You're not laying a finger on any of us," Sesshomaru said. Suddenly, an arrow pierced Naraku's barrier, causing it to disperse. Naraku's face was etched with terror as Sesshomaru quickly glanced towards the opposite end of the mansion where the others had come from. Kagome had just released one of her sacred arrows, and now was his chance to hit Naraku.

"_DRAGON STRIKE!"_

The shape of the blue dragon and electricity crossing the blade emerged and struck at Naraku, which hit him square in the chest. A blinding light flashed and Naraku's body exploded into many bits. However, when the cloud of dust dispersed, all that was left was the remains of a shattered golem left in the rubble of the earth.


	9. Chapter Forty Nine

_**Beyond the Darkness  
**_**:::**

**A/N: **Aggh. My chapters are getting shorter. /: Or so it seems. I'm trying hard to make them longer (upon request ;D), but I don't want to give away too much in one chapter. I like to spread out the wowness. d: Anyway, I've got chapter fifty written up as well, so as soon as I'm done posting this, I'll put that one up too, and then I think I'll be done for the day. Alrighties. Enjoy and R&R please. (: Chaaanks. (Oh, and the ONLY reason why I didn't kill off Naraku was because I wanted to kill him according to how he really does die (_IF _he does ... I don't know, since I'm not even done with the series). So if he DOES die in the series, well, that's how he'll die in mine. I need to hurry up and read/watch it. d: AND I DON'T WANT ANY SPOILERS. SPOIL THE ENDING AND I WILL BOMB YOUR HOUSE. Alrighty. Bye again.) **-Michele **

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** ::Forty-Nine:: **

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Naraku was gone. Again. He'd gotten away with killing Nikala. Sesshomaru roared with anger.

"_You damn bastard!" _he cried, cutting a nearby tree down with his claws. His breathing was heavy.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" asked Rin softly, cautiously walking up to him. Sesshomaru sighed and gained control over himself again. Rin's voice calmed him. He looked back at Nikala's body and started towards her.

"Where's Ma?" Shippo suddenly asked from behind him. He didn't have to look back to here the scattered footsteps of the small fox demon. He sensed the rest of the crew coming towards him as well.

Nikala wasn't breathing, and from what he could see, Tenseiga wasn't pulsing either, not yearning to heal her. What the hell was wrong with that sword? Sesshomaru knelt beside her, extending his hand out to her.

"Lord Sesshomaru, you're shaking," Rin said gently. It wasn't until she'd said that that he realized his arm _was_ shaking. As a matter of fact, he noticed that his entire body was trembling. Why? Was it because of Nikala? Because he knew she was dead?

He heard a gasp from behind him and immediately smelled the scent of tears, the salty stench entering his nostrils. Whose tears, he wasn't sure, but someone was crying. Was it Shippo?

"Mama …?" Shippo's voice was shaky as he appeared just behind Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru's sharp ears picked up Shippo's staggered breathing as he witnessed the gaping hole.

"Where's Tenseiga? Lord Sesshomaru, you can heal her!" exclaimed Jaken, waving his arms around.

"You don't think I've already tried? You think I would be sitting here if I hadn't tried?" Sesshomaru barked. Jaken cowered back, in fear of Sesshomaru's tone.

"No. No, no, no, no, no! Ma can't be dead! She _can't_!" Shippo cried, bursting into tears. Kagome rushed to his side. Sesshomaru spotted wetness on her cheeks. So it had been Kagome's tears he'd smelled.

Everyone fell in silence, other than Shippo's loud crying. Sesshomaru's head swirled. This couldn't _actually_ be happening. He'd just met his true love. He'd _just_ found out what it was _like_ to love. And he was _just_ about to become a father. How could all of this be taken away in a single day? It wasn't possible. It wasn't _fair._

"_Do you have someone to protect?"_

_I've failed, Father. I had someone to protect, and now she's gone. And your fang won't save her? _Why_ can't it save her?_

That was the question. Why couldn't Tenseiga save her? Tenseiga was supposed to be able to save one hundred souls at once. Why was her soul any different?

_She _is_ different, though, _he thought. Sesshomaru actually _loved_ her. Could that be it? He wasn't sure, nor was he positive that was the reason.

"Rin, get me Tenseiga," he ordered and Rin immediately obeyed. She looked around for it before finding it amongst some of the rubble from Naraku's explosion.

"Here you are, my lord," Rin said, handing him his sword delicately. Sesshomaru took possession of it. Still no pulse. He held it above her, yet he still could not see the soul-bearers. What was wrong with this sword?

"She's … gone …" he muttered, the words stinging his tongue. Shippo broke into another explosion of sobs.

"G-gone?" Sango asked in disbelief. Sesshomaru found it hard to believe as well. He glanced down at Shippo and his heart surprisingly throbbed at the sight of his torn expression. Both his parents were gone now. Just after he'd been reuniting with his mother, too ….

Wait, he thought. Tairoku. Was Nikala with Tairoku now? Was she happy to be with him wherever they were? His stomach churned at the thought. He wanted her to be with him. She was happy with him. They were about to start a family. Why was it all being taken away?

_Are you keeping her from me, Tairoku? Have you taken my Nikala?!_

But he thought again. Nikala was Tairoku's initially. They were mates before Nikala even met him. But he couldn't help but feel possessive. Besides, Nikala was carrying _his_ baby, his first baby. His mind twisted with confusion.

*** * ***

Sesshomaru carried Nikala back to InuYasha's campsite, the clearing that they'd been staying in. There was a sullen silence amongst the crowd. Shippo's crying had stopped and had been reduced to sniffles and occasional silent tears.

"Should we take her to Kaede?" Sesshomaru heard Kagome ask InuYasha.

"She's gone, Kagome. Kaede won't be able to do anything," InuYasha muttered. Even he was sullen about Nikala's death.

Sesshomaru looked down at her face. Still in her fox form, her face looked pained, as if she could still feel Naraku's tentacle in her chest. He gripped her body tighter, his fingers lingering on her large belly. It wasn't as big as it was in her humanoid form, but it didn't look natural. Was the baby still living? Was it dying because it wasn't getting any oxygen from the mother?

They reached the clearing and Sesshomaru set Nikala down after Kagome and Sango made a place for her to lay with a blanket and a log to place her head on. Shippo made his way to the opposite side of the clearing, curling up in a fetal position, his back to everyone else. Kagome sighed.

"Shippo …"

Suddenly, they saw Rin walk out from behind them, tracing Shippo's steps. They watched as she knelt down to him, tilting her head and looking at him, concern and sympathy in her gleaming brown eyes.

_Rin …_ thought Sesshomaru.

He knelt beside Nikala, staring at her face. Of course, Jaken remained at his side. Miroku gave Nikala a long look before dispersing, and Sango and Kagome followed him. InuYasha, however, lingered.

"Sesshomaru," he began, but Jaken shot him an annoyed look.

"Lord Sesshomaru needs to be alone, half-breed!" he snapped. InuYasha shot him a look of death.

"Shut up, imp! You're one to talk!" he snarled.

"Both of you, shut up," Sesshomaru growled, glaring. They both obeyed, Jaken with a look of terror on his face and InuYasha scoffing. "Jaken, leave us."

"Lord Sesshomaru!" he protested, but with one icy glare from Sesshomaru, Jaken scurried off, isolating himself from everyone else.

"What do you want, InuYasha?" Sesshomaru asked, looking back down at Nikala.

InuYasha sighed. This was awkward, he thought. He was actually feeling sympathy for his older, hateful half-brother ¾ the very one who wanted to kill him for his sword.

"I didn't know you had this soft side to you," he scoffed. Sesshomaru said nothing, as if he'd merely ignored his comment. InuYasha rolled his eyes, and, before he continued with another snide remark, he looked into Sesshomaru's eyes. There was actual sadness filling those golden eyes. He was distraught, InuYasha could tell, just by the look in his eyes. His face showed no emotion whatsoever, a look InuYasha was familiar with, but beyond the careless expression, he read the grief that filled those eyes.

"Sesshomaru, I'm sorry … about Nikala. I guess you really did love her. I didn't think it were possible," he said in a much gentler tone, adding a brief chuckle to the last bit. Again, Sesshomaru said nothing, but he definitely soaked in his brother's kind words.

"You feel sympathy for me, InuYasha?" Sesshomaru asked softly. InuYasha shrugged.

"It's human nature. I'm half human. Yeah, I feel sympathy for you, even if you are an arrogant bastard." InuYasha smirked. Sesshomaru looked up at his younger half-brother. How long had Sesshomaru resented him? Since his birth? He'd blamed him for his father's death, because his father had chosen to run to InuYasha and his mother's rescue when he was wounded badly. But as Sesshomaru pondered this, he thought, was it really InuYasha's fault? After all, he was just a baby — a small being that he himself would have had one day.

"I've just always known you as the one who wanted to kill me because I carried the old man's fang you so desperately wanted. I guess Nikala really did help you see beyond this darkness you were in. Who would have thought?" InuYasha laughed. "And I can't believe I'm actually telling you this now. Wow, I must be out of my mind."

Sesshomaru stared at InuYasha as he tilted his head back in his awkward laughter. He believed him — InuYasha finally believed that Sesshomaru had really fallen in love with Nikala. After everything they'd been through … Was InuYasha actually starting to grow on Sesshomaru?

"InuYasha," Sesshomaru said finally, and InuYasha suddenly stopped his laughter. He looked back at Sesshomaru, his eyes slightly narrow, but not at all resentful. "Thank you … for understanding."


	10. Chapter Fifty

_**Beyond the Darkness  
**_**:::**

**A/N: **Chapter fifty. R&R. Bye! (:**-Michele **

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** ::Fifty:: **

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Her eyes blinked open and a white light shined brightly at her. She squinted, lifting a hand to shield her eyes. Where was she? What was going on? And what was this weightless feeling about her?

She leaned up, rolling her shoulders back and stretching. She looked around and saw nothing but the bright white light. Where in the world was it coming from? Where was everyone? From what she could see, there wasn't a soul in sight.

Then, after blinking many times, a figure suddenly came into view. Nikala tilted her head and anxiously awaited the figure to come into view, waiting in both fear and excitement. Her topaz eyes widened when she recognized Tairoku's face.

"Tairoku!" she exclaimed and stood from the ground, which was as blindingly white as the rest of her surroundings. However, at least with Tairoku around now, the light had dimmed and she didn't need to shield her eyes.

"Nikala," he replied with a smile, opening his arms to her. She fell into his embrace, absorbing the familiar feeling of being in his arms. He felt soft and comfortable and strong, all at once, like he could protect her, like he _had_ protected her.

"Tairoku, what's going on?" she asked, looking up at him after nuzzling her face into his chest. "Where am I? Where are _we_?"

"Nikala, you're stuck between the passing of moving on, and staying alive," Tairoku explained. Her eyes widened.

"What?" she gasped in disbelief. "Does that mean I've —"

"You're unconscious," said Tairoku. "You've not yet died, but you are well almost. You've still got the choice to make."

"I get a choice whether to live or not?" she asked, her voice cracking. Did everyone get a choice whether to live or pass? Had Tairoku gotten a choice? If he had, why hadn't he chosen to live? Why hadn't he chosen to be with her? To stay? He could have helped her search for Shippo. The two of them could have defeated Hiten together. She wouldn't have had to run away and lose him, while at the same time trying to find her son. She wouldn't have passed out and —

She wouldn't have met Sesshomaru. The idea made her feel very heavy through the weightlessness. If she'd never met Sesshomaru, she'd never had helped him find love, even if it was in her. She'd never have met Rin and Jaken, and then, later, InuYasha and Kagome and the others. Well, maybe eventually she would have, if she and Tairoku were to find Shippo amongst them, but not meeting Sesshomaru? She couldn't even imagine her life without Sesshomaru.

"Of course you get a choice," Tairoku said, pulling her from her thoughts. "Everybody does." A lump formed in her throat and suddenly she felt betrayed. He'd been given a choice. Why hadn't he'd chosen to stay?

"You were given a choice too?"

Tairoku nodded. "I was."

"Then why didn't you choose to live?" she blurted. But it was already out and she couldn't stop the words from flying from her mouth. "Why didn't you choose to come back to me?"

"My duty was done. I needed to protect you, and I did exactly that," Tairoku said calmly.

"Your duty was to help me raise our son! You weren't done on Earth!"

Tairoku stared at her with a knowing look, the smile still spread across his face. Nikala looked taken aback. Was she wrong? Was Tairoku done living on Earth?

"Tairoku?"

"If anyone isn't finished living, it's you, love. You have so much ahead of you. You've even got a baby to raise," he said gently, resting his hands on her large belly. She widened her eyes, realizing that she was, indeed, pregnant. She was pregnant … with Sesshomaru's pup. His firstborn. Tairoku was right; her duty was not finished yet.

"I don't understand," she said, her tone soft again, "how did you know your duty was done? How did you know your duty was to protect me, and that was it?"

He leaned into her, pressing his forehead against hers. She felt his warm breath on the bridge of her nose, tickling her skin. His golden hair brushed her forehead. He took her head in both of his thick hands and stared at her in the eyes.

"I knew because that's what my heart told me. I knew you were fine, that you would be fine. That you would find Shippo and you two would be together and happy again. I knew because I had faith, Nikala," he said.

"Faith?" she whispered. He nodded.

"Mhm. Faith, dear one."

Suddenly, Nikala's eyes began to well with tears. She didn't want faith. She wanted Tairoku. She wanted him alive and with her. She loved Sesshomaru, but nothing in the world would make her happier if Tairoku were alive and with her.

"I am gone physically," he said, "but I will never be gone spiritually. I've told you before; I am always watching over you and Shippo. I'm here to guide you on the right path, but it is up to you which path you choose to walk. You are needed on Earth. You are needed for Sesshomaru's sake, for Shippo's sake, for this unborn baby's sake, Nikala." He glanced down at her round stomach.

"I can't leave you, Tairoku. I can't," Nikala wept, shaking her head. "You're right here in front of me. What if I never see you again?"

"Do you need to see me to believe I am with you?" he asked her. She looked down, her eyes landing on her bulging belly. This baby needed to live. She needed this baby. _Sesshomaru_ needed this baby. Tairoku didn't even want her to stay with him, on account of other people needed her more. Oh how she loved him for being so unselfish. She felt mighty shameful at that moment. She was only thinking about herself. She just wanted to stay with Tairoku, when it was clear that he wanted her to be with Sesshomaru.

"Which path will you choose, Nikala?" he asked her, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs.

So many people needed her. They all prayed for her to come back. But if she chose to stay — to die — she could be with Tairoku, forever. She bit her lip and one of her hands subconsciously ran down her belly. Suddenly, a tiny nudge woke her up. A kick. She'd felt her baby kick. A wave of excitement flooded her and tears stung her eyes yet again, threatening to spill out over her cheeks.

"I know," she said. "I know what path, Tairoku. I love you so much, but I know I need to live. I need to bring this baby into the world. For Sesshomaru.


	11. Chapter Fifty One

_**Beyond the Darkness  
**_**:::**

**A/N: **Chapter fifty-one, done. I'm about to start fifty-two. This isn't much of a chapter, I don't think. Sorry. I hope it's not getting boring. d: I'm just trying to get down what I've had in mind for years. I've been working on this story for a looooooong time, if you can believe it. Aha. Okay well, enjoy and R&R please. (: Gracias. **-Michele **

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** ::Fifty-One:: **

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Sesshomaru stayed by her side all day. Not once had Nikala stirred or shown any sign of consciousness. No breath or slight movement. Nothing. Her lack of motion was really discouraging Sesshomaru, along with everyone else. Miroku was constantly praying, along with Sango; Kagome was either with Shippo and Rin, or with InuYasha, who was wandering around the camp. Every once in a while Rin would sit by Sesshomaru, just to keep him company, but after a while, she'd receive a vibe from him telling her that he'd be better off alone. It was then that Rin would go back to Shippo.

Sesshomaru couldn't even fathom how the others — especially Shippo — were feeling about Nikala's death because he was too swelled up in self-pity. She was his pride, his joy, his love. She'd shown him through the darkness, shown how wonderful this new world of love was. And even though he was still an indifferent and arrogant demon, there was something in him that seemed to switch on a light that showed him something beyond _power_. Nikala had opened his eyes to something even InuYasha could see before. She brought some humanity to this purebred demon.

_Is this what that human woman did to you, Father? Did InuYasha's mother help you discover humanity as well?_ he thought.

He shut his eyes tightly, trying to rid of the overwhelming feeling inside of him. Her death was taking a toll on him. He had to remember who he was. He was Lord Sesshomaru, warlord of the Western Lands. He'd killed many people and demons before, all without the least bit of remorse. Now, all of a sudden he was grieving over the death of a mere she-fox?

"_Do you desire power so much?"_ his father's voice echoed in his mind. Sesshomaru bowed his head. He did. He knew it. _"Tell me, Sesshomaru _—_ do you have someone … to protect?"_

At the time, of course he didn't. Why had his father even asked him such a thing? Why would he have such need to protect anyone? His eyes lingered on Nikala. He _did_ love her, though. He wanted to protect her from Naraku.

_Just wake up, Nikala. Just wake up. _

Now that she was gone, was there any reason to continue protecting anyone anymore? Even his comrades? He'd failed to protect Nikala — eventually he'd fail to protect Jaken and Rin ….

None of this had to have happened. Why had Nikala shown him beyond the darkness? Why had he saved her? Why had he saved Rin? If he'd never come across either of them, he'd be the same demon he was when his father had died. He'd feel absolutely no remorse when killing someone. He'd care for nobody but his high and mighty self. He would have never seen Nikala's beautiful face, nor Rin's innocent one. He would have never spent those nights with Nikala, never journeyed with her to find her son. And, while he thought about this, all of the memories began to flash before his eyes.

She was so beautiful. He remembered the day at the hot springs, seeing her glimmering skin wet with the water, the cherry blossom petals falling around her. He remembered the first night they'd made love, the glittering water illuminating an outline around her figure. She'd looked like an angel and Sesshomaru actually realized that he was totally in love with her.

Again, why, he thought, why did this have to happen? He could have spared himself this foreign misery. His mission was to take Tetsusaiga from InuYasha, who was wrongly deemed the master of his father's greatest fang. _That_ was what he was supposed to be doing. He wasn't supposed to be protecting anyone.

And then, suddenly, something stung his eye. It made his vision blurry and, judging by the scent of it, was salty. He'd smelled this before. Then it hit him: Kagome. He recognized this scent from Kagome. When she was crying.

Was it actually possible for Lord Sesshomaru to be _crying_?

"Sesshomaru!" InuYasha called.

He was crying. Sesshomaru was crying over Nikala. It couldn't be. But every time a memory of her entered his mind, the tears only came faster.

_Stop this! Stop this crying! This is pathetic! You're being reduced to a pitiful demon!_ Sesshomaru scolded. Perhaps it was better that he'd never met Nikala. He wouldn't have to deal with this aching in his chest. It was annoying and so … so _humane_.

"Sesshomaru, I'm _calling_ you!" InuYasha said, annoyed. Sesshomaru glared. Now was _not_ the time to be bothering him.

Sesshomaru turned his head, glaring icily at his half-brother, tears streaming from his golden eyes. InuYasha widened his eyes the size as dinner plates and staggered back. Never had he'd seen his brother like this, nor did he think Sesshomaru would _ever_ do this. He wasn't even aware that Sesshomaru was capable of such feelings. What in the seven hells was going on?

Sesshomaru hadn't need to say anymore to make InuYasha back away from him. He turned his head back down to Nikala as InuYasha stared at him. He'd initially come to tell Sesshomaru to let Shippo have some alone time with his mother. He'd been at her side all day and Shippo had been sitting on the opposite side of the clearing. Clearly Sesshomaru wasn't thinking about maybe letting Shippo have some time with his mother. After all, he was now an orphan (and InuYasha clearly knew the feeling). He'd just met with his mother again, and then just lost her. But now, InuYasha could see why Sesshomaru was hogging Nikala. How baffling — Sesshomaru crying.

InuYasha's heart went out to his brother, even if he did hate his guts. InuYasha somewhat knew what it was like to lose a lover. After all, he'd lost Kikyo, even if she had "betrayed" him and pinned him to a tree with one of her sacred arrows. Sesshomaru had lost Nikala, and InuYasha knew it was a terrible feeling. But he'd have to let it go eventually.

"Sesshomaru, you can't dwell on this forever, you know," InuYasha said gently. The words seemed to sting Sesshomaru, even though he knew he needed too. Still, it was hard, and Sesshomaru was finally realizing just how hard it was. Get over Nikala's death? Could he even _do_ that?

"I can't _just_ forget about her," Sesshomaru said. "She's changed my life."

"I'm not _saying_ to _forget her_," InuYasha said with a slight eye roll. "I'm just saying that you can't mourn over her forever. You've got to keep living too, you know. Are you just going to give up being the warlord of the Western Lands just because your mate died?"

Sesshomaru felt the urge to strike InuYasha in the jaw, but he knew that he was actually right. Sesshomaru had a duty to tend to, and he couldn't do that crying at Nikala's side.

"I just … can't … believe she's …" he stammered quietly, almost as if he were talking to himself, and if InuYasha didn't have powerful hearing, he probably wouldn't have even heard what Sesshomaru had said. He'd heard him cut himself off, not even daring to speak that word.

_What in the seven hells has Nikala _done_ to you, Sesshomaru? You're a whole other demon!_ he thought.

Sesshomaru glared while the tears stung at his eyes again.

_Why is this happening?!_

His heart wrenched, as if someone were squishing it in their hand like clay. He ran his fingers along her soft, auburn fur, tracing the edges of her legs. Tracing her lifeless body. He looked away, shutting his eyes tightly, withdrawing his hand, and biting his lip.

_No. No, no, no …._

She wasn't dead. He refused to believe it, even if he'd decided she was a long while ago. She wasn't.

_Someone to protect …_

"_Do you have someone … to protect?"_

InuYasha watched Sesshomaru with pity. Why wasn't he feeling triumphant that he was finally seeing Sesshomaru in pain? Why was he frowning, instead of grinning with satisfaction?

_Perhaps seeing Sesshomaru reduced to something small wasn't as great as I thought it would be …_

Oh who was he kidding? It was he life dream to see Sesshomaru this way, but he'd never expected it to be because of his dead mate. Hell, he'd never expected Sesshomaru to find a mate at all.

He couldn't stand watching Sesshomaru in remorse any longer, surprisingly, so he turned on his heel and walked back to Kagome, leaving his half-brother alone.

_Nikala …_ Sesshomaru whispered mentally. _Nikala … I love you._

And then, as if those were magic words, he felt something grasp his hand — another hand, no doubt. His heart stopped, but his mind raced. Slowly, Sesshomaru glanced down to see Nikala's humanoid face, weary and pallid, but her topaz eyes full of life. Life. She was _alive. _

_But … but _how_?_

Nikala squeezed his hand and her chest heaved weakly. He could see the nasty hole in her chest, wide and angry and bloody.

"N-Nikala …?" Sesshomaru gasped softly. A set of fresh new tears pooled at the edges of his golden eyes.

"Sesshomaru," she wheezed, making Sesshomaru's heart go into overdrive. Her voice. Her breath. Her motion. Life. She was alive. "Sesshomaru, why are you crying?"


	12. Chapter Fifty Two

_**Beyond the Darkness  
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**A/N: **I want a British boyfriend. /: One like WILLIAM MOSELY. (: Now that sucker, is HAWT. Okay, done fantasizing. Here's your chapter. (: Enjoy && R&R. Ciaoz. **-Michele **

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** ::Fifty-Two:: **

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Sesshomaru was stunned. One minute she was dead, the next she was …

Tensaiga didn't do anything. It hadn't even pulsed. He stared down at her weary and confused face.

"_Nikala?"_ Sesshomaru heard InuYasha cry out. Heads turned immediately and then rushed footsteps stampeded over to them.

"Ma! _Mama!_" Shippo cried.

"Shippo," Nikala rasped, lifting a hand to her son's face.

"How did this … Did you use your sword, Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken pondered in utter amazement. Sesshomaru couldn't answer him — he was still so stunned.

"Oh, this is truly a miracle," Sango said, tears stinging her eyes.

"Lady Nikala, how is it you are alive?" Miroku questioned. "You were, well, dead not five minutes ago."

"Lord Sesshomaru has a healing sword, Tensaiga," Rin explained.

"Oh, that's right," Kagome said. "So he had to have used Tensaiga to heal her, right?"

Now, everyone stared at Sesshomaru, who was staring down at his now-living mate. Her topaz eyes shifted at met his golden ones.

"I didn't use Tensaiga," Sesshomaru said, still looking at Nikala. "You woke up your own."

"So Nikala must not have been _dead_ for Tensaiga not to work, assuming that you did try, Sesshomaru," Miroku said.

"So we worried for nothing?" InuYasha scoffed. Kagome glared.

"InuYasha! She could have very well _been_ dead. She was out for hours with a gaping hole in her chest. We thought we lost both her and the baby," she said, her brown eyes wide with worry.

"How is the baby, by the way?" asked Sango. Nikala ran a hand down her large belly with a smile.

"Doing well," she whispered.

"It's still alive?" Sesshomaru finally asked. Nikala looked up at him with a nod, her smile gradually growing.

"Yes."

"What a relief," Miroku sighed. "We will continue praying for you, my lady." He knelt down to her and brushed his lips against her forehead. Nikala brought a hand up to his face and stroked it.

"Thank you, Lord Monk," she said. Miroku slightly blushed.

"Please, you need your rest. It would be best for you not to speak any more," he advised.

"Miroku's right," Kagome agreed. "Let's leave Nikala alone. Now that we know she's alive we can all rest a little better." After that, she and the others left Nikala, all except for Sesshomaru and Shippo. Rin went to hug her neck before trailing after Kagome, dragging Jaken along with her.

"You really are alright, Ma?" Shippo sniffled.

"Yes. Especially now that I have my two favorite men here with me," she replied, stroking both of their faces at once.

"The girl is right," Sesshomaru said suddenly. "You need your rest. That hole needs to mend." And, as soon as he said it, Tensaiga pulsed in its sheath. His eyes widened as he looked down at it.

_Tensaiga? You choose _now_ to do some healing?_

He withdrew the sword and he could see the pall-bearers surrounding the hole in Nikala's chest. Utterly confused, he raised it to swing.

"Sesshomaru, what are you doing?" cried Shippo. Nikala shushed him.

"It's alright, dear. He's healing me," she said softly and closed her eyes. Sesshomaru swung at the pall-bearers, cutting them in half. And then, right before their eyes, the hole in her chest began to mend. Nikala's breathing steadied. She was healed.

"You did it!" Shippo gasped softly. Sesshomaru sheathed Tensaiga.

"Thank you, my love," Nikala whispered and reached for a hand to kiss his fingers.

*** * ***

Sesshomaru and Nikala left the clearing with Rin, Jaken, and A-Un a week after Nikala had fully healed. She was well enough to walk on her own, but Sesshomaru made her resort back to riding A-Un so that she wouldn't be walking with her pregnant belly.

"We plan on heading over to Kaede's village," Kagome had informed them before they were about to leave. "So in case Nikala goes into labor, run to the village. She can be helped there."

"Thank you, Kagome," Nikala said with a smile, holding her hand in both of hers.

"Very well. Come, Nikala, we should be on our way. Naraku's scent will be even more difficult to trace now," Sesshomaru said. Nikala nodded and hugged Shippo good-bye. She climbed on top of A-Un and the walked out of the clearing.

Now they were back on the forest path, tracking Naraku yet again. They'd been traveling for quite some time now, this day marking Nikala eight-in-a-half months.

"Lady Nikala," Rin said from down below. Nikala peered down at her.

"Yes?"

"Do you think the baby is going to be a boy or a girl?" she asked. Nikala smiled and Sesshomaru's ears perked.

"I don't know, dear. We'll just have to wait and find out." Her topaz eyes flickered to Sesshomaru briefly.

"I sure do hope you have a girl. I'd like to have a sister," Rin said wistfully. Nikala's breath caught in her throat. A sister? So, she'd thought of Sesshomaru and herself as parents. Nikala looked back at Sesshomaru, who was staring back at Rin, bewildered.

_A sister … Oh Rin!_

"I'd like to have a girl too. I'm only familiar with boys," Nikala chuckled. "And I'd love for you to have a sister as well."

Rin smiled widely and looked forward, her hands behind her back, but then she turned back to Nikala with one last request.

"Lady Nikala? Will I be able to hold the baby when it's born?" she asked. Nikala smiled widely and nodded.

"Of course! After everything you've done for me, I'd be more than happy to let you hold the baby."

"But, of course Lord Sesshomaru needs to hold it first," Rin said, looking up at Sesshomaru. He'd heard what she'd said, but chose not to say anything.

"I think Lord Sesshomaru would really appreciate that," Nikala giggled.

"Especially because this is his _first born_," added Rin. Jaken scowled at the two giggling girls for teasing Sesshomaru.

"Feh. Females," he said with an eye roll. "How dare they tease you my lord."

"Nikala and Rin have no reason to be scoffed at by you, Jaken," Sesshomaru said heartlessly. Jaken remembered: he couldn't ever insult Rin and Nikala in front of Sesshomaru. He was grateful Sesshomaru hadn't shoved a foot in his face, like he usually did when he said something to annoy Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru," called Nikala sweetly. Sesshomaru stopped and turned to her.

"Yes?"

"Could we stop at a hot spring? Carrying the baby is wearing me out," she said, placing her hands on either side of her large belly. Rin's face lit up, and Jaken didn't look so annoyed either.

"Yay! Could we Lord Sesshomaru? Please?" she pleaded. Sesshomaru's heart thumped at the sight of Nikala's smile. He couldn't believe that there was actually a chance that he'd never be able to see that smile again. He wanted nothing more than to just see that smile for the rest of his life.

"We'll go to the springs," Sesshomaru agreed. Nikala and Rin squealed.

"Thank you, my lord!" Jaken exclaimed.

They set off for the springs that weren't too far from InuYasha's camp. It was the same spring Sesshomaru had caught InuYasha and Miroku peeping at Nikala bathing, along with Sango and Kagome.

"Will you come in the spring too, my lord?" asked Rin, excitedly. Sesshomaru hesitated, and, just as he was about to decline, Nikala said, "Won't you join us, my lord?"

To be in the springs with Nikala, to have her skin rub against his like it had many times before … He quite liked the idea.

"Alright. For a little bit," he agreed. Nikala smiled and gently tugged him to her so as to plant a kiss on his lips. Immediately, Sesshomaru's inside swelled with light. It had been too long since he'd had a kiss from her. Far, far too long. They wandered off the path and walked through the trees until they entered an area of warm steam. Nikala hopped off from A-Un, walking alongside Sesshomaru and grabbing his hand.

"Have you ever been in a hot spring, Sesshomaru?" she asked.

"I don't believe so," he replied. Nikala bit her lip in a smile.

"Well, you're going to have a wonderful time." Sessomaru looked down at her bright face.

"I'm sure I will," he replied with a small smile.

They reached a clearing where a large spring was, a tall hedge separating the spring and the other side of the forest, serving as a wall.

"Are you going to need help taking off your kimono, love?" Nikala said coyly. Sesshomaru smirked.

"I think I can manage," he replied. "But when I need help, I'll let you know." Nikala laughed, but it was soon replaced with a string of moans and groans. She keeled over, her hands on the sides of her belly. Everybody stopped walking to tend to her.

"Nikala?" Sesshomaru asked, sternly.

"Lady Nikala, what is it?" Rin asked worriedly.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what's going on?" Jaken cried.

Nikala let out a loud moan and yelped. "The … baby. It's coming!" she cried. Everyone's eyes widened and Sesshomaru's heart slammed against his ribcage. He was about to be a father very, _very_ soon.


	13. Chapter Fifty Three

_**Beyond the Darkness  
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**A/N: **Woot! Chapter fifty-three is DONE! Alrighty. It's a whopping five-pager (well, like, a less than a quarter of the fifth page was actually written on, so not exactly five pages :b), so you better enjoy! DX JKJK! I hope you DO enjoy it though! (: R&R please! Thanks a bunchies! C: **-Michele **

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** ::Fifty-Three:: **

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The trees were blurred through her eyes as her forehead bore beads of sweat at the edges of her hairline. The pain from the contraction was unbearable and familiar, from when she was pregnant with Shippo. She'd done it then, she'd be able to do it now.

"Sesshomaru," she moaned. She looked up at his face. His eyes were narrowed and his speed increased, feeling the one arm that cradled her tighten its grip. She leaned her head against his shoulder, sighing. How lucky was she to have a mate like Sesshomaru? It did pay off to be in love with an all-powerful demon.

"We're almost there, Nikala," Sesshomaru murmured, picking up the pace. The smell of human mingled in the air as they were approaching a village, and amongst that scent, he could sniff out a couple of familiar demon scents as well. _InuYasha and Shippo must be there, along with everyone else._

Another contraction. Nikala's moans grew louder.

"Sesshomaru!" she cried, gritting her teeth before letting out a loud gasp.

_We're almost there! _

Rin and Jaken would catch up later, he figured. They were far behind, coming as fast as they could on A-Un, but Sesshomaru's speed was miles faster than the dragon's.

Suddenly, they reached a clearing of trees and entered a vast village full of small huts and many rice fields. They were spotted immediately when Sesshomaru exposed himself and cries were sent across the fields.

"A demon!"

"Run! There's a demon!"

Sesshomaru glared, but he had no time to silence them. He sniffed out InuYasha's scent and took off in another run. The scent led him to a larger shack smack dab in the middle of the village.

Nikala gripped Sesshomaru's pauldron and moaned again, tilting her head back in pain. Her breathing was fast and heavy.

"Sesshomaru … _Sesshomaru!_"

"Hold on, Nikala," he soothed. He darted for the hut, approaching some familiar faces. Miroku and Sango were outside, Sango brandishing her boomerang.

"Sesshomaru?" Sango asked.

"Nikala!" Miroku pointed. "Has she —?"

"She's going into labor," Sesshomaru explained. Sango and Miroku exchanged looks of surprise as Sesshomaru burst into Kaede's hut. His massive presence startled the elderly priestess, as well as InuYasha, Kagome, and Shippo.

"Sesshomaru!" InuYasha burst.

"My mate is going into labor, priestess," he said to Kaede. Kaede's eyes widened.

"Make room for her then," Kaede instructed. InuYasha and Kagome immediately went to work. They set up a mat for her with a pillow.

"Is she alright? Are you alright, Ma?" Shippo asked, looking up at his mother in Sesshomaru's arm.

Nikala chuckled lightly. "Yes, I'm fine, dear one." A moan followed after, leading her to not be so convincing.

"Set her down," Kaede said to Sesshomaru. He placed her on the mat and stepped back. "Now, ye men need to leave the hut. There'll be no men in the birthing room." Sesshomaru sent Nikala a long look, but she nodded at him to go.

"I'll be fine, I promise."

"I don't want to lose you again," he said.

"You won't. I'll be here." She smiled at him.

"Go on, you guys. Shippo, tell Sango to bring a bucket of water," Kagome ordered. Shippo nodded and bounced out of the doorway following the brothers.

"Get me some rags, Kagome," Kaede instructed. When Kagome returned, Sango had entered with the bucket of water, and Rin at her side.

"Lady Nikala!" Rin exclaimed, rushing to her side. The girls knelt down around her. Kagome passed a rag to Sango, who dunked it into the bucket, squeezed all of the excess water back into the bucket, and dabbed Nikala's forehead.

"Pass the rag to the girl," Kaede said, speaking of Rin. "Keep dabbing her forehead, lass." Kaede moved to the end of Nikala, who was now covered by a large blanket thanks to Kagome, her knees bent up. "I'm going to need ye to push, lassie," she said to Nikala. Nikala nodded. She knew the procedure. "Kagome, get ready with some towels. Sango, get her another damp rag." The two of them nodded. Nikala bit down on her lip and pushed, screaming out in pain.

*** * ***

Sesshomaru paced back and forth before staring out at the rice fields. Was Nikala okay? Was she still in pain? Jaken and Rin had arrived, and once Shippo had instructed Sango what to do, Rin followed her and walked into the hut with her. He wanted to know what was going on.

As usual, Jaken was at Sesshomaru's side. "My lord sure is quiet," Jaken said. "Have you something on your brilliant mind?"

"Brilliant my ass," InuYasha retorted, coming up from behind. Jaken turned and glared daggers at him.

"How dare you insult Lord Sesshomaru!" he shrieked.

"What is it, InuYasha?" Sesshomaru asked, indifferently, yet annoyed.

"Nothing," he said, carelessly. "Just wondering how exciting someone like you could be about having a baby."

Jaken looked up at Sesshomaru. Indeed, it was quite surreal. Then again, so was him falling in love.

"So, since you're going to be a father, that would make me the uncle of your kid," InuYasha said again. "That's just weird." He shuddered.

"You should be blessed to be the uncle of Lord Sesshomaru's child! Of course, the baby will be so much greater than you, half-breed, being full demon," Jaken sneered. Sesshomaru smirked. This was true, he thought. InuYasha's eyes glared.

"Feh. Yeah right. Like a baby will be able to overpower _me_, full demon or not. Look at Shippo; I'm still stronger than him and _he's_ a full demon," InuYasha said.

"But this baby will be the offspring of Lord Sesshomaru, so it will possess power you couldn't even _dream_ of!" Jaken exclaimed. "Isn't that right, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Of course," Sesshomaru agreed. Jaken beamed. InuYasha merely rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but I'll be the one to teach it how to kick your ass," InuYasha replied.

"As if you could, InuYasha," Sesshomaru said with an eye roll, still peering out at the fields. He suddenly heard a cry from the hut, a cry from Nikala. His head whipped around, his eyes wide.

_I can't lose her again!_

InuYasha and Jaken looked towards the hut, startled as well. None of them were experienced with child birth, so they hadn't known that the cry was actually normal, that she was just pushing for the baby to come out.

"She sounds like she's in pain, Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken cried out, tugging on the bottom of his hakama.

"It's quite alright, really," Miroku reassured, appearing in front of them. "She's fine. This is typical during child labor."

"How would you know?" InuYasha snapped.

Miroku rolled his eyes. "As a monk, I come to bless the children when they are born." He turned to Sesshomaru. "I assure you, Lady Nikala is fine."

Sesshomaru found it hard to trust the monk whenever it came to Nikala, but his words were reassuring. He could breathe easier.

"If Sesshomaru is this worried about his mate, then I'm sure he'll make a good father as well," Miroku said with a smile. He clapped his hands together and bowed. "May you and your new family live well and prosper."

Sesshomaru widened his eyes at the monk's words. Was he just trying to appeal to Sesshomaru so he would lift all suspicions he had towards him and Nikala, or was Miroku actually trying to make nice with him? He didn't know what to say.

Suddenly, a loud, long scream came from the hut. _Nikala!_ thought Sesshomaru. The villagers paused what they were doing and stared horrendously at Kaede's hut. But soon, the scream was replaced with a cry. An unfamiliar cry. A baby cry.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened and he dashed off towards the hut. _The baby. The baby. The baby!_ It was all that ran through his mind. He burst through the doorway, his eyes darting for Nikala, and what he saw made his heart throb.

She was sitting up slightly, with the help of an extra pillow, cradling a bundle of blankets. Nikala tilted her head and smiled warmly at him through her weariness. Rin ran over to him.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" she said excitedly. "It's a girl!"

_A girl?_ he thought. _I have a daughter_.

Rin grabbed his hand and led him towards Nikala. Kagome, Sango, and Kaede were kneeling on the opposite side of them. Just as Sesshomaru was about to look down at the bundle in his mate's arms, the other men stumbled in.

"Ma! You're alright!" Shippo cried happily. Nikala chuckled.

"I told you I would be, little one," she said.

Shippo made his way over to her, sitting down beside her next to Kagome. Nikala looked up at Sesshomaru.

"Would you like to see your daughter, my lord?" she asked gently. Sesshomaru looked into her topaz eyes before glancing back down at the bundle as Nikala moved some of the blankets. She revealed a most angelic face with a dainty pink nose and purple lines underneath her shut eyes and her mouth was empty of any fangs as she cried. Two tiny white fox ears poked out from her mass of white hair. Sesshomaru was beginning to realize something quite peculiar.

"Hey, Sesshomaru, she looks like _you_," InuYasha mentioned. Nikala smiled widely and stroked her daughter's face gently.

"That she does," she said, looking up at Sesshomaru. Nikala bounced her gently, to stop her crying, but she did not prevail. "Do you want to hold her?" Sesshomaru looked taken aback just the slightest. Never in his life had he held a baby before, let alone a crying one. He hesitated before Rin exclaimed, "Yes! Hold her, my lord! This is your first baby!" Rin's smiling face encouraged Sesshomaru and he agreed. Kagome and Sango exchanged smiles while Nikala placed the baby in Sesshomaru's arms. She tightened his arm around the baby.

"There you are," she said and looked into Sesshomaru's eyes. He looked down at his crying child. Suddenly, her cries started to cease and were replaced by light moans. Soon, the baby was quiet as she rustled in her blankets. Everyone's eyebrows rose, even Sesshomaru's.

"Looks like Sesshomaru has a magic touch," Kagome beamed. He briefly glanced at her before looking down at his baby again. He was surprised to see her eyes now open, big, bright, topaz eyes staring up at him. Slowly, a smile began to curl in her little lips as she made happy baby noises. She stretched her arms up towards him. She was happy to see him. Sesshomaru's child was _delighted_ to see her father.

Kagome and Sango were brought to tears at the affection Sesshomaru was receiving from the baby. Even InuYasha smiled, though his golden eyes were still narrowed and his arms were crossed, as if he knew all along that the baby would react that way. Jaken's wide, bug eyes were soaked in tears. Nikala merely smiled. _She_ knew the baby would love him. And she was right.

"Ai," Sesshomaru muttered. Nikala tilted her head. "The baby's name shall be Ai."

"Love," Nikala translated softly while the baby cooed, longing to touch Sesshomaru's face. "It's perfect."


	14. Chapter Fifty Four

_**Beyond the Darkness  
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**A/N: **Okay well, this is the last chapter of the season, which was actually pretty short and I'm kind of upset that it is, but I needed to end it here. This chapter is more of an epilogue and a preview of where I'm going to take the next season, which will probably be the last of this series. Okay well, enjoy alright? (: R&R please! **-Michele **

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** ::Fifty-Four:: **

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Everything just seemed perfect.

Sesshomaru, Nikala, and the crew had finally settled somewhere. Their search for Naraku was over and now, one year later, they were living in their own manor in the Western Lands, land that was rightfully Sesshomaru's. If anyone were to pass through these lands, he'd pick up their scent and make sure they were of no harm to his crew, or especially his family.

Ai was walking now. She was still speaking nonsense, but she managed to get a couple of words out, "doggy" being one of them. She was able to say mama and dada; Jaken's name was now replaced with "Jakky", and Rin had become Win. The resemblance between her and Sesshomaru continued to grow and there wasn't a day that went by without Ai smiling widely at her father.

"She loves you, and she's proud of you," Nikala said one day while Sesshomaru held Ai up, now with both of his arms, looking into the big topaz eyes she'd inherited from her mother. It was perhaps the only feature Ai had inherited from her, other than the fox ears and bushy tail, and also her loving personality. Everything else was all Sesshomaru, almost a spitting image.

"She's just a baby. How could she have any pride in me?" Sesshomaru asked. Nikala smiled widely and leaned over to stroke her daughter's face. Ai playfully grasped her mother's finger and nibbled on it. Two little fangs had grown in and she was teething. Sure, the baby had a bite, but Nikala's demon power helped her heal quickly against the weaker attack.

"Even if she is a baby, she still knows how important you are, not only to the Western Land, but to her herself," Nikala said and took the baby from his hands, widened her eyes and smile at her daughter. Sesshomaru pondered this for a bit as the tall grass blades of the field outside the manor swayed against his legs. Was it possible for a baby to feel pride? He didn't think babies even knew what pride was. But, even if they didn't, he thought perhaps that babies could maybe feel such a thing. He knew he still had a lot to learn from his mate about this baby business. Nikala was very experienced with children.

Ai's complaining gibberish suddenly woke him from his thoughts. Nikala bounced her and stuck her knuckle into her mouth. Ai sucked on it before Nikala pulled it back out.

"You're hungry, aren't you, little one?" Nikala asked in a baby voice. She slipped off one side of her kimono, exposing one large breast to Sesshomaru. He watched her as she lifted Ai's head to her breast, cradling her as the baby sucked her nipple. Nikala looked back up at Sesshomaru with a smile.

"Nursing all over again. She's getting a little old, though, so I guess I'll have to start weaning her. I should cut this one short and find some fruit for her to suck on," Nikala sighed as she bounced Ai while her tiny hands balled into fists, her arms curling to her chest. Her eyelids began to drop and her sucking slowed. Nikala noticed.

"Or she'll just fall asleep. I don't think she's too keen on wanting to leave the breast," Nikala chuckled. Sesshomaru smiled and watched Nikala stroke Ai's face, rocking her back and forth, humming a lullaby. This lulled her to sleep in a heartbeat and she let go of her nipple.

"Do you mind taking her, love?" Nikala asked, handing Ai carefully to Sesshomaru. He agreed and swiftly took Ai in his arms, not even causing her to stir. Nikala replaced her kimono straight and leaned against Sesshomaru's arm, watching their sleeping baby.

"She _loves_ your touch," Nikala giggled softly. "Bet you didn't think you'd have a way with kids, or babies at least."

"None at all," Sesshomaru said.

"See? I told you you had nothing to worry about. This baby was going to love you no matter what, just like its mama," she said sweetly and wrapped her arms around his arm tightly, snuggling with it.

"I've been waiting a long time for a life like this again," she sighed, closing her eyes. Sesshomaru glanced down at her. This was his family. He had a mate, he had a baby … If only his father could see him now. He was slowly following his tracks. He didn't need Tetsusaiga anymore — he had his own sword. After Tokijin broke in half on him, he gained another sword, one he himself made. He felt as if he were following his father's footsteps. Lord Sesshomaru was the most powerful demon in all of Japan. Would his father be proud?

Suddenly, a scent caught him off guard. He lifted his head, alert and cautious, sniffing it out. It was so familiar ….

Jaken was running out of the mansion and towards him, his arms flailing. "Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru!" he cried. Nikala lifted her head quickly at Jaken's direction. Ai stirred in Sesshomaru's arms, cringing at the high-pitched squeal of Jaken's voice.

"I'll take her inside," Nikala offered and took her from him. Sesshomaru glared at Jaken as he passed Nikala.

"You almost woke her," he hissed. Jaken bowed.

"I'm so sorry, my lord, but there is trouble!" Jaken exclaimed. Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow. Could it have anything to do with the scent he'd sniffed out.

"Trouble?"

"Yes, yes! Someone's entered the boundaries. There's a pack of them! And they're nearing the manor!"

"Who are they?" demanded Sesshomaru, rising to his feet, indifference returning to his tone.

"They're foxes, my lord! Foxes!" Sesshomaru's eyebrows knitted together. Foxes? So no wonder the scent was familiar — he'd been smelling Nikala's kind. But why had they gotten so far into the land? Could it have been that he'd not noticed them because Nikala was so near and the closeness of her scent overpowered them?

"Foxes? Certainly not from her tribe, though," Sesshomaru said.

"No. These foxes are dressed in white furs and kimonos," Jaken explained.

"Beckon Nikala. She should know where these foxes are from. Tell Rin to watch the baby," Sesshomaru ordered and walked towards the front of the manor. Jaken nodded and rushed back inside.

_White foxes_, he thought. _Could they be from some Northern tribe? The tribe that Nikala had initially planned on heading when she was reunited with Shippo?_

He didn't know why they were here. Perhaps they knew about Nikala's being there. If so, why did they come anyway?

With Sesshomaru's agility, he was there in a heartbeat. He stood before the trees and tall grass blades and, a couple minutes later, there was rustling. Sesshomaru waited for his visitors.

A tall fox demon in humanoid form walked out from behind the trees. He was adorned in a silky white kimono, sky blue hakama with a white sash around his waist. A white fur cloak draped his shoulders. His hair was long and white and it was pulled back in a thin ponytail.

"State your name, fox demon, and your purpose here," Sesshomaru demanded.

"Is that of any concern to _you_, Lord Sesshomaru?" smirked the fox demon. His comrades stepped out from behind the trees as well, all dressed similarly in white.

"You should know, considering that you know my name. You are aware that this is my territory," Sesshomaru retorted. At that moment, Nikala came out from the manor. She took one look at the group of white foxes and widened her eyes. The white fox leader noticed her too.

"Ryoku!" she cried, a wide smile on her face. Sesshomaru looked at her, strangely.

"You're familiar with this fox?" he asked as Nikala rushed to his side. She nodded.

"He's the leader of Northern fox tribe. They're snow foxes," she explained. Ryoku's dark eyes lingered on her, but he smiled.

"Nikala. It's been a while, and you just keep getting more beautiful," he said. Nikala blushed, but rushed into his open arms. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the embracement. What did he want?

"So you know my mate well, I take it," Sesshomaru said thickly. Ryoku's smile quickly dropped as he looked from Nikala to Sesshomaru, then back to Nikala.

"Mate?" he asked, clearly disapproved. Nikala nodded, stepping away from him.

"Yes, is there something wrong?" she asked, cocking her head.

"Well, it's just … I wasn't expecting you to be _mated_ with _him_," Ryoku said. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed.

"What are you implying, fox?"

"Ryoku, what are you doing here?" Nikala asked, sensing some tension between Sesshomaru and Ryoku. This wasn't turning out good.

"We heard about what happened to the Western fox tribe. Word had it that you were a solo survivor and that you would be coming up to the Northern tribe. Well, I got excited." He chuckled. "You would have made a fine addition to our tribe. But you never came and I was worried that something had happened to you. Nikala, we've been searching for you for about a year now," Ryoku explained, his eyes saddened as he grasped her hand in his two large ones.

"Worried? For me?" she asked.

"Yes. Once you came to the tribe, I wanted to make you my bride," Ryoku said with a small smile. Nikala gasped and Sesshomaru became infuriated. He stepped in between her and the snow fox demon, his claws curling.

"Your _bride_?" he hissed menacingly. Ryoku glared, meeting eye to eye with Sesshomaru.

"How is it fit that a dog is mated with a fox? It's not the way of the fox demons. We mate with our own kind," he sneered, as if it were Sesshomaru's fault that Nikala had chosen to be with him rather than her own species.

"Don't ridicule me, lowly fox demon. Nikala had the choice of whom she wanted to be with. If she wanted to marry you so badly, she would have left my crew to go to the Northern tribe," Sesshomaru spat. Nikala's topaz eyes glanced from her mate to her fellow fox friend.

"Both of you, stop this!" she cried from behind Sesshomaru. She gripped his arm, looking up at him. "Ai wouldn't want you fighting. Think of your daughter."

"_Your daughter?"_ Ryoku cried. "You've impregnated her as well?" He growled and withdrew a glistening silver blade with a pearly white bone handle.

"Ryoku!" cried Nikala.

"How could you turn against your own kind, Nikala?" Ryoku spat. "Your destiny was supposed to be with me. Not this dog, not Tairoku … _me_."

Sesshomaru glared and his claws lit up.

_Whip of Light,_ Nikala thought in horror. She couldn't let him kill Ryoku, even if he was out of his mind at the moment. Killing her own kind was unacceptable.

"Sesshomaru, don't!" she screamed. "If you kill him, I'll leave!" Sesshomaru's claws stopped glowing and he eyed her incredulously. Ryoku gained a look of triumphant.

"Nikala … he wants to take you from me. You'd allow him to do that?" he growled.

"He's not taking me anywhere," Nikala said firmly, tossing a glare at Ryoku. "But you can't kill him. He's done no harm to you."

Sesshomaru scoffed and uncurled his claws. Ryoku eyed him suspiciously. "If you know what's good for you, you should get out of here. Don't ever come back," he demanded.

"As if I'm going to take orders from you, dog," Ryoku spat. Sesshomaru glared at being disrespected, but Nikala interrupted before he could slice him.

"Do as he says, Ryoku," she ordered. "My destiny was never to be with you. I'm sorry." Ryoku eyed her for a long time.

"Very well, my lady," Ryoku finally agreed. "Come, men," he said to his companions and they turned their backs on the two. Nikala sighed with relief when they disappeared into the forest of trees.

"You were going to kill him," Nikala muttered.

"I'm sick of everyone wanting you for themselves. I thought _we_ were mated," Sesshomaru snapped.

"We are, Sesshomaru. And I can't say that I'm a fan of all of this attention, but we can't help it. People will love who they love."

"They are infatuated with you. I highly assume they only have lust for you," Sesshomaru said, his eyes still on the forest of trees.

"Well I'm not giving myself to anyone but you, I promise," Nikala said. "Don't underestimate me, Sesshomaru; now that I'm not pregnant anymore, I'm actually powerful again." Sesshomaru sighed and looked down at her. Her eyes were narrowed and her arms were crossed over her chest. She was serious. Despite her claims, Sesshomaru still felt the need to protect her.

"Alright. Let's just get inside. You need to tend to the baby," Sesshomaru advised. Nikala's concern dropped and she agreed, leading the way back to the mansion.

However, little did they know that Ryoku of the Snow Fox Demons would not heed Sesshomaru's words and he would return very, very soon for his determined bride.


End file.
